


Azgeda Peace Offering

by Cairlinn



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, GP!Anya, Other, Pre Season 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2019-11-04 13:10:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17898734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cairlinn/pseuds/Cairlinn
Summary: Nia sends her daughter Freya to Polis as a sign of peace. But the girl is much different than anyone had expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the 100 or any of the characters, apart from Freya.
> 
> I am also not a native English speaker, so I apologize for any errors.

Chapter 1

Freya woke groggily to the sound of heavy footfalls, resonating off of the cold stone walls of the corridor. While it took her mind only the fraction of a second, to remind her of the immense pain coursing through her body, she needed much longer to realize what had woken her up in the first place.

She bit back a groan of pain, as she slowly forced her body to move. She had been passed out on her side, back facing to the small door of her cell and she needed to get up now.

The sounds of the footsteps got louder increasingly, indicating that someone was nearing her cell. Her small cell was located at the end of narrowed corridor, so whoever moved in the direction of the door, usually came to see her.

Freya fleetingly hoped, that it was only the guard shift taking place, but she could not detect any footsteps moving away from her direction.

Black dots began to invade her field of vision, as she slowly forced her body into an upright position. Bitter bile rose in the back of her throat, at the feeling of the skin on her back tightening with the movement and she could also feel fresh blood trickling down her back.

Freya contemplated forcing herself to her feet, but getting into a sitting position at all had been strenuous enough, that she highly doubted to succeed without passing out in the process.

She waited in anticipation for the footfalls to finally reach her door, supressing a shudder at the high probability of having to face her mother so soon again. Her heart rate was increased and Freya desperately tried to calm her laboured breathing. She knew, that her mother would not change her plans, no matter in what condition she already was in currently.

It took only a few moments longer, until the familiar sound of an old rusty key being turned in the lock to her cell, alerted Freya to the impending visitors; she had recognized already that the footfalls belonged to two people and not just one.

The door to her cell was swung open forcefully only a second later, connecting with the stone wall in a loud clanking sound. Freya winced at the noise, but she tried to keep her expression as calm and stoic as possible.

Her breath caught in her throat, when she truly came face to face with her mother.

Queen Nia of Azgeda had an ugly sneer on her face and her blue eyes hardened as she gazed down disdainfully at her own daughter. She did not share much with her daughter when it came to their looks, only their eyes were identical. Nia’s eyes narrowed down at her daughter, lips thinning at finding the girl still sitting and not standing, like she had taught her to long ago.

With two big strides, Nia had crossed through the small cell and forcefully hoisted Freya onto her feet, hands gripping at her frail arms roughly. She did not let go of the girl’s arms immediately, pulling her daughter closer to herself instead, so that they stood face to face, barely an inch left between them.

Nia’s eyes were hard and her voice sharp as she addressed her daughter “You know the plan, Freya, if you fail…” she paused, her eyes glinting dangerously “…you shall never return to Azgeda!” she threatened.

Freya’s blue eyes widened slightly, but she had difficulties to concentrate on her mother’s harsh words. The pain which raged through her body, had only increased due to her rough handling and she bit the inside of her lips strongly, to somehow contain the pained whimper wanting to escape.

Over her mother’s shoulder, Freya could spot Ontari, the nightblood girl her mother had been training for years, leaning against the door frame coolly, a smirk plastered on her face and the glint within her dark eyes told Freya easily, that the other girl was enjoying the display of her obvious torment.

“Do not show weakness now!” Nia bawled Freya out, giving the girl a slight shake and visibly making her wince “You have disappointed me enough already, Freya…”

Freya dropped her eyes to her feet immediately, knowing better than to argue with her mother. She knew from past experience, that it would only aggravate the woman. She nodded her agreement meekly; her mother rarely expected her to verbally give an answer.

Nia let go of her daughter’s arms, only after she had pushed the girl into Ontari’s direction “Escort her to the warriors on the courtyard, they are to leave immediately” she addressed the nightblood girl in a strict tone.

Freya stumbled strongly at the unexpected push and had to steady herself against the wall to keep her balance.

Barely a second later, Ontari had inclined her head to the queen and grabbed one of the princess’ arms in an iron grasp, pulling her out of the small cell roughly. She did not particularly care about the other girl’s obvious problems to walk straight at the moment.

Freya stumbled behind Ontari almost blindly, breaths heaving strongly and with every step it felt as if a white-hot blade was pushed between her shoulder blades and retracted again a second later.

She did not know, how long it took them to reach the courtyard, but Freya feared that she would pass out, before they even left her mother’s fortress. She had absolutely no idea, how she should survive the long journey to the capitol. She was aware that a fever was already building in her body and the journey would take them at least a week, if not longer.

Freya barely noticed how Ontari handed her over to one of the warriors waiting to bring the Ice princess to Polis.

Ten warriors had been assigned by the queen to bring her daughter as a kind of peace offering to Polis, to be offered in a union to the commander.

Freya was powerless to contain her exclamation of pain this time, when the warrior forced her hands behind her back, binding them together with a rough piece of rope. She would have argued with him about the senselessness of her being bound, if she had the energy to open her mouth and the mind to formulate words.

She did not even fight it, when the warrior forced something down her throat, before she was hoisted into the saddle in front of the warrior.

The last thing Freya noticed before unconsciousness enveloped her senses, was that fresh snow was falling to the ground softly around them.

As a child, she had always loved the sight of fresh snow. Being allowed to play outside in the snow had always been a highlight to her. She could still remember times, when even her mother had joined them. But those times had been rare and she had always been closer to her two brothers and her father.

She had grown up with the conviction being instilled in her that Azgeda was the strongest clan, meant to rule over the other clans.

Now, that they had a Trikru commander ruling over all the clans, her mother could not accept that. Her father and older brother had died in a battle between Azgeda and Trikru three years ago and Freya’s life had changed tremendously since then.

Her mother had never been overly kind to her and their relationship had been strained from the beginning. She knew that her mother had always preferred her brothers, seeing a daughter as a weakness, not able to ever reach the strengths of her brothers.

The loss of her oldest child and beloved husband had hardened Nia beyond recognition. If Freya had thought that her mother had been strict and sharp with her before, she had been surely mistaken. A harsh word had quickly turned into a slap and a slap into a beating as a punishment. But soon punishments had not been enough any longer and Freya had been confronted with violence as her new form of education.

She had originally been trained as a warrior, like everyone had been, actually alongside of Ontari. But the nightblood girl had one day managed to truly siege Freya, breaking one of her wrists in the process and while Ontari’s training had progressed and the girl had grown stronger and more violent, Freya became weaker.

It had only taken a few weeks of Freya losing all of her combat matches and her mother had decided that continuing her training was a waste.

Roan had been her only salvation back then. He had smuggled food to her, when their mother had her being starved as a punishment and he had sneaked to her room as often as possible, keeping her company through the long hours of the night.

Her life had only turned down-hill a few moons ago and she had quickly lost all sense of time. Lexa kom Trikru had not retaliated. Freya knew that her mother had sent the head of the commander’s lover to the commander’s bed, but the commander had still accepted Azgeda into the coalition.

Freya’s punishments had lost all sense and boundaries after her mother had been forced to sent Roan to Polis. It had almost seemed as if her mother had begun to enjoy physically punishing her and Freya now carried the scars to proof that on her skin. She had not been allowed to leave the small cell anymore, being confined in it, day and day out, only ever seeing her mother and occasionally Ontari as well.

~ ~ ~

Freya was not consciously aware of time passing during their journey.

The warrior, who was sharing his horse with her, had not spoken a single word with her so far. He forced her to drink something occasionally and Freya strongly suggested that the brew was spiked with some sort of narcotic and something counteracting the infection which had sat into the wound on her back.

She knew that her fever was rising and it became increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open for longer than a few moments at a time.

The warriors who were functioning as her escort seemed worried by her condition. They feared that the princess would perish before they reached the capitol. They knew that a death sentence would be awaiting them, if they did not deliver her to the capitol alive.

So, they hurried their pace along, forcing the horses nearly to their limit.

Freya only noticed their progress by the changing surroundings. The snow began to melt around them and she could spot more and more trees.

She had never been so far away from her mother’s fortress before and the villages they passed, were all unfamiliar to her.

Freya had only ever heard reports before that the villages closer to the border to Trikru were doing poorly. Her mother did not find it necessary to aid them.

But what she saw, when the neared the border were in fact flourishing villages. Freya heard from one of the villagers that they had been successful in establishing trade with Trikru, it was going slow, but apparently the villages were doing better and that without aid of her mother.

Within the last village before they would truly leave Azgeda and cross over into Trikru territory, a healer looked at her. The healer may have given everything in his power, but he was not able to bring down her fever, without removing the cause of the infection, which he could not.

Freya was told there that they would need two more days to reach the capitol. She had actually looked forward to seeing the capitol and she still carried a small sliver of hope, that she would see her brother at least one more time.

But as the hours passed, Freya was feeling more and more weak and faint barely able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at the times before darkness claimed her again. When the group finally reached Polis, Freya was unable to really enjoy it much, her mind too clouded by fever.

The warriors who had escorted her to Polis, were held back at the base of the tower. Freya looked up at the tower for a moment, feeling dizzy at the pure height of the building. It seemed that quite a few buildings from the old world had survived the bombs.

Freya felt her breaths once again quickening in anticipation, during their journey, she had averted thinking about what awaited her in the capitol as hard as possible. But now that she was standing in front of the tower, being confronted with what appeared to be only Trikru warriors, she could not control her fears any longer.

She was well aware of the fact that most of the warriors were glaring hatefully at her. The scars, typical for Azgeda, etched into the left side of her face, gave her origin away on first glance.

A snippet of the memory of the markings being done in the first place flashed through her mind. She had been around six summers old back then and she had winced and whimpered with every cut, it had hurt much more than her brothers’ words had made her believe. Roan had sat behind her and she had held onto his hands as hard as possible. Her mother had thrown a fit, when she had seen the design. The scars, usually rectangular patterns, had been made to look almost floral on her light skin and Freya had instantly loved them. She shuddered lightly, when she remembered how the one who had marked her skin, had lost one of his hands at the hand of her mother in punishment.

Freya was jostled out of her thoughts, when rough hands grabbed her upper arms, forcing her into a door at the basement of the tower, which promptly fell shut behind her. She tried to contain the hiss, at the painful grip and she looked up at the general pulling her further inside.

The general, easily recognized by her specific armour, had sharp features and her brown eyes looked at Freya, narrowed down in obvious distrust, a sneer resting on her face.

Freya did need to concentrate all of her will power on keeping her breathing as steady as possible and she bit her lip strongly, trying to contain her sounds of distress, when the general felt along her dress, searching for hidden weapons. She held her breath in frightened anticipation when the general’s hands wandered from her legs upwards, sweat began to slicken her palms and Freya was not sure if it came from the fever or nervousness. She could let out a quiet sigh of relieve, when the general stepped back a moment later, brown eyes still narrowed, not having found anything suspicious and grasped one of her arms again, pulling her into a small room.

“If you try anything…” the general growled at the Ice princess “…I will take great personal pleasure in gutting you myself!”

Freya looked at her with slightly widened eyes and meekly inclined her head in consent, hoping that no verbal answer was expected of her.

The small room revealed itself to be an elevator and Freya absentmindedly wondered just how it worked, but she let the question go as soon as it crossed her mind, she had bigger concerns now. She could feel her strengths waning quickly and she was fairly certain that she would not be able to remain conscious for long. One of the warriors had forced her to drink something just before they entered Polis and whatever it had been, had roused her to at least some semblance of alertness, but Freya could feel its effects already wearing out.

She could feel the weight of the general’s vigilant stare resting on her bowed head and she tried not to fidget in place, hearing her mother’s harsh orders resonating loudly through her mind and Freya began to tremble slightly.

Weeks ago, Freya had been convinced that death would be her only salvation and she had even longed to finally take her last breath, but now that she was only moments away from facing the commander, the only urge she felt, was to flee. But she knew, that it would be pointless to attempt to plead for her life.

The ride in the elevator was over, before Freya could truly give into her rising panic and she tried to steady her erratic breathing, as she followed the general through a narrow hall, which was flanked with six pairs of guards.

Her head felt heavy and dizziness clouded her vision, as Freya stumbled behind the general the last few meters to the entrance of the throne room. She did not have the time to let her gaze travel through the room before the general had turned in front of her and forcefully shoved her onto her knees. Freya managed to catch her balance only by shouting out her palms or she would have fallen over.

It took her a moment, before Freya could raise her head and her eyes immediately fell on the commander. Although she knew the woman to be of a similar age to herself, Lexa kom Trikru appeared to be the epitome of power. The commander’s youthful face was smeared with black war paint, making her green eyes even more piercing in their intensity.

Freya swallowed thickly, having to force the words out of her throat “Queen Nia sends her regards…” her voice quivers and she feels bile rise in her throat, making her fall silent immediately, lowering her head and hoping not to throw up now.

She had minutely let her gaze flit over the others gathered in the room. Most of them had visibly been marked as Trikru and all of them had glared at her, a mixture out of pure disdain and suspicious distrust.  

The commander’s expression had been weirdly blank and Freya had not been able to pick up any kind of emotion in the other woman’s green eyes. She had spotted the roll of parchment her mother had sent with her, containing a message to the commander, in the leader’s fingers.

Lexa regarded the Ice princess with the hint of a frown. She had expected to be faced with a highly skilled assassin, masked as the queen’s daughter. After what Nia had sent to her before, she was naturally suspicious to receive anything from the Ice queen. The older woman had only begrudgingly agreed to have prince Roan banished to Polis, giving Lexa at least a small bargain chip over the queen. It was perplexing that the queen now freely offered her last child to her.

The description, Roan had given her a few days previously, when word had reached the tower of the impending arrival of the princess, mostly matched with the girl. Although the man had not directly voiced that his younger sister was not a fighter, it had still been obvious in what he had not said.

Lexa narrowed her eyes suspiciously, when she noted how sickly the girl’s complexion was, her skin seemed clammy and her eyes were glassy, wondering internally if the Ice queen had simply opted to sent a disease to her throne.

She could see with a deepening scowl, how the girl seemed to shrink into herself, before she suddenly fell over, obviously unconscious.

“Call for a healer!” the commander ordered loudly, remaining on her throne. If Nia had truly sent a disease to her, she should not touch the girl. Her eyes shortly flitted to Anya, knowing that the general had searched the girl personally.

Her former mentor’s brown eyes were narrowed as well, a frown etched into her features.

Indra, who stood beside her throne, together with Gustus, immediately muttered that it would be advisable to kill the girl now and to burn her body now, before whatever she was ill with, could catch someone else.

Lexa shook her head slightly, something the prince had said to her, halting her decision. She had gotten to know Roan as an arrogant and aloof character, he had barely baited an eye at hearing that he would remain a political prisoner in the capitol. But for some reason, he had almost pleaded with her for his sister’s life.

The arrival of Nyko halted her thoughts and she watched on with a deepening frown, how the man bent down beside the girl, placing his hands on the girl’s back and side, trying to turn her around, only to pull his hands away and look at them with a flash of horror passing over his features. The healer’s hands had come back coated in blood.

Lexa stood from her throne, "Treat her!" she repeated her command sharply, seeing hesitation in the healer's face.

The man nodded and sliced the girl’s dressed open with a dagger, he gasped harshly, taking a small step away from the girl’s unconscious form.

Lexa stepped closer and her eyes widened at the sight. The other girl’s back was littered in deep wounds and scars, showing clearly that the girl had been subjected to repeated physical torture, but the wound which had caused her dress to be saturated with blood, was horrifying.

A small sheath, containing a dagger, had been sewn into the flesh under the girl’s shoulder blades. The wound could not have been older than a few days and it had obviously caught an infection, pus and blood ran from the thick sutures. It was apparent that the flesh had already begun to die by the stench and the dark colour of the skin; the princess’ dress must have been heavily scented to mask the smell.

Lexa absentmindedly wondered if the prince had known of the treatment his sister had obviously been subjected to. The girl had appeared too meek and frightened, to have agreed to this on her own free will. She had seen the effects of torture before and the princess’ body spoke of long moons of harsh torture.

"Take her to one of the lower rooms and treat her." Lexa repeated her command more softly. A few guards came over immediately to carry the girl's body down and the healer fell into step beside them.

Anya looked the most troubled, as she had missed the dagger on the girl. But who would search for a sheath sewn into another's back? The girl had been physically too weak, that Lexa was certain that even taken off guard by the dagger, the princess would not have succeeded to assassinate her with it.

She had never thought much of queen Nia before, but who in their right mind, would do something like that to their own flesh and blood.

Gustus’ expression was unreadable; they had agreed beforehand that he would be the one to bond with the girl as Lexa had no intention to enter a bond with the princess. But the situation had obviously just gotten much more complicated, than either of them could have anticipated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Freya woke up without any perception of time and place. The first thing which truly registered within her dazed mind was the absence of any true sense of pain. She absentmindedly wondered, if she had died of her infection already, but she could feel a blanket beneath her fingertips.

She craned her neck, blinking her eyes a few times, trying to recognize just where she was at the moment. Her breath came out in short bursts, as she realized that she was still within the tower. Abruptly, Freya sat upright under the coarse blanket and the pain returned with a ferocity, that she could not help the pained gasp tumbling past her lips.

She looked around the room frantically, trying to identify just where exactly she was. But the room alone did not give her any real hint. She could spot a small window above herself and faint sounds of people milling around in the streets around the tower filtered inside.

Feya’s hands clutched at her sides and she could easily feel the bandage wound around her body. Someone had dressed her in a lose pair of trousers and bindings covered her chest, no sign of her dress or shoes. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest, as she slowly moved her shoulder blades, currents of white-hot pain rushed through her mind at the jostlement, but the sheath and the dagger had obviously been removed from her flesh.

She frowned slightly at the realization of the unbound state of her hands. She also did not seem to reside in a real cell at the moment. She had been absolutely sure that she would immediately be executed for her part in her mother’s ploy, no matter how unwilling she had been.

A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, as her mind supplied the only logical reason to keep her alive at all. The commander must have given orders to nurse her back to health, at least so far enough, that she would not die during the first minutes of the execution. It would be something, her own mother would command as well. She felt tears gather in her eyes, as panic enclosed her mind, her breathing became more and more erratic at the prospect of having to face death by a thousand cuts and she did not even realize, how she lost consciousness again short moments later.

~ ~ ~

When she regained consciousness some time later, the room had fallen in darkness and the sounds from the streets had lapsed into silence as well. She felt as if her skin had caught fire and her skin was slick with sweat. The blanket had been replaced with a bundle of soft furs and Freya clawed at them, trying to remove them from her overheated skin.

She was startled strongly, when the door to the room was pushed open without any kind of forewarning. A man entered the room, carrying a flickering candle in his hand. The golden light of the candle made his facial tattoos easily recognizable, he was apparently a member of Trikru as well.

Freya tried to pick herself up from the bed quickly, groaning in pain loudly. Her mind was torn between giving in to the darkness already pulling at it and fleeing from this man. She had no idea if he had come to escort her to her execution or if he might have been sent to punish her as well.

She watched him step closer to the bed, with dazed eyes and she jerked away strongly, when he leaned towards her, trying to reach her forehead.

“Calm down, you are still running a very high fever” the man said in a soothing tone, as he put the candle onto a side table.

Freya was unable to hear his words properly against the rushing noise in her ears. All she saw, was his hand entering her field of vision and she feared the strike, that she was sure would be following, so she jerked away again, until her back painfully connected with the wall behind her.

Nyko called out, loudly shouting for help. It was obvious that the girl was too panicked in her fever to think rationally and judging from the scars littering her body, he could not even fault her for her fear. Her fever had obviously risen again and he knew that the girl needed to be cooled down as quickly as possible.

Although the princess’ body was thin and she almost seemed frail, she was stronger because of her blind panic and Nyko needed help of three guards to get the girl fixated properly to be able to force some tea down her throat. Even in her dazed state, the girl heavily fought against them, Nyko frowned, knowing that the girl’s panicked movements would likely tear the stitches in her back. He pinched her nose closed, after the girl spewed the first bout of liquid out, forcing her to swallow if she did not wish to suffocate.

Freya’s field of vision quickly narrowed, as darkness started to tear at her consciousness. Whatever the healer had forced her to drink, was quickly numbing her mind and she felt a weird kind of weightlessness settle in her mind.

Freya could still lowly hear the healer converse with the female general, who had escorted her into the throne room.

“Do you think that she will survive?” Anya asked Nyko, taking a step back from the bed. It was astonishing how much of a fight the Ice princess was still able to put up.

It took Nyko a moment to answer, while he adjusted the furs around his patient. He would wait with taking a look at her back, until the tonic would have taken full effect. “I cannot say at the moment” he proclaimed “The infection rages deep in her flesh and many of the wounds are deep and look as if they have never been properly treated."

Anya’s eyes narrowed “Heda should have had her executed already” she seethed, jaw clenched in anger “The girl is a traitor to the coalition”. She was certain that the girl would have made an attempt on Lexa’s life, if given the opportunity.

Nyko snorted slightly under his breath, shaking his head at the general “I doubt that the girl had any say or choice in her fate” he pointed out thoughtfully.

Freya did not understand more of what was spoken next to her, as her mind was pulled into total darkness again.

~ ~ ~

During the course of the next days, Freya continued to pass in and out of consciousness.

Nyko continued to treat for her wounds, trying to fight off the infection still raging through the princess’ body. He had cut away as much from the deeply infected flesh on her back, as possible, but the infection would have already gotten into her blood and only time would show, if her body was strong enough to fight off.

On the edge of her consciousness, Freya noticed how the healer returned at unknown intervals and forced her to drink every now and then. The only positive thing was that the liquid kept her asleep for most of the time and in the back of her mind, Freya already feared a time, when it would not be given to her any longer.

~ ~ ~

The next time Freya truly woke, was to someone roughly shaking her shoulder. A pained groan escaped her lips as pain ripped through her senses. Her vision was clouded by black dots, as Freya forced her eyes open and it took her another moment, until the sharp features of the general became distinct in front of her eyes. She tried to shrink away from the general’s hands, groaning again when the healing skin on her back was pulled tight with the movement.

“Let go of her, Anya” Nyko addressed the general sharply, trying to force the woman to take a step back. He had learned over the past few days that the princess needed to be handled as delicately as possible, or she would slip back into a blind kind of panic. He had been as cautiously as possible with the girl and the skin on her back was slowly healing.

Anya glared at the healer darkly “Stand up!” she barked the order loudly at the Ice princess. She turned to face Nyko again “She had enough time to heal, the commander wants to speak with her” her brown eyes had turned hard, she would physically haul the girl to the throne room, if she had to and Nyko would surely not stop her.

Freya struggled to get into a sitting position, biting strongly at her lips to contain her sounds of distress, she could already taste the hint of blood on her lips. The pain rising quickly with every slight movement and she had no idea just how she should manage to stand from the bed, lest reach the throne room.

Anya impatiently tapped her feet, while she watched the girl struggle to her feet impassively.

Nyko quickly stepped forward when the Ice princess managed to climb from the bed and immediately swayed on her feet “She can barely stand…” he seethed at the general.

“Do I look like I care?” Anya’s lips thinned, glaring at the healer.

Nyko huffed under his breath, as he stepped in front of the woman, before she could grab the princess “I will help her up” he insisted strongly. He knew that there was no talking sense into the general and he would at least make sure the girl could try to walk as slowly as possible and he could try to reign in the general’s rising impatience.

Although Freya could not help her instinctual flinch, when the healer grasped onto her elbow, she was eternally grateful for the man’s help. She was sure that she would not have been able to keep up with the general’s fast strides.

Nyko’s company seemed to force the general to accept her slow pace, but Freya still felt currents of pain ripping through her mind with every step she took. She was grateful that they again made usage of the elevator to travel upwards in the tower, as she would have never survived to climb all these stairs.

The guards outside of the throne room sneered disdainfully at the princess, word had spread about what had happened all through the tower staff.

Freya shivered slightly at the intensity of the hate rolling off of them in waves. She knew that the woman who’s head her mother had sent to the commander a few moons ago, had been well respected and beloved within the capitol.

She immediately lowered her head, once they stepped into the throne room. Her breaths came out in short erratic bursts and dizziness clouded her mind, the fever was still within her body and she could feel her physical strength draining more with every second. She internally hoped that she could plead the commander for a quick death.

Nyko begrudgingly stayed behind at the door and jaw clenched when the girl visibly faltered at the loss of contact.

Freya only shortly looked up, when the general once again forced her to her knees in front of the throne.

The commander was sitting on the throne, face impassive, and she was flanked by a dark-skinned woman and a burly guard, both of them sneered at her disdainfully.

Freya felt her breath catching in her throat in pain, when the general pushed her down and she was certain that she would not be able to stand up again, but she highly doubted that anyone would offer her assistance. She could only hope that the healer would remain and help her later, if the commander did not decide to have her executed immediately.

Lexa waited for a short moment, her eyes narrowing down at the meek princess. The girl did not appear to have recovered at all, she seemed close to fainting again. “Why has your mother sent you to the capitol?” she addressed the girl in a sharp tone, her green eyes burning fiercely.

Freya swallowed thickly and kept her eyes trained on the floor at her feet, her voice was barely above a whisper as she answered faintly “To kill you…” She knew that there was no sense in trying to spin another story. Fear coursed through her mind again, the evidence sewn into her back against her will, would be enough to have her executed. Maybe the commander would send her head back to her mother, but Freya was filled with the saddened certainty that her mother would not care one bit if she lived or died.

Angry whispers of her being a traitor resonated through the throne room and Freya shivered, shirking down even more. She expected to be met with the harsh sound of a sword pulled from its scabbard and she startled strongly when a hand appeared in her field of vision.

The commander had soundlessly stood from her throne and now stood directly in front of the Ice princess, one of her hands grabbed onto the girl’s chin roughly, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze “And do you plan to try?” she asked, voice cold and serious.

Freya tried to jerk her chin out of the commander’s grasp, but the other woman’s fingers only tightened their grip. “No, Heda” she answered faintly, blue eyes honest, but voice noticeably quivering.

“Because you know that you would fail?” Lexa mocked the girl harshly.

Freya tried to shake her head in the negative again, but the commander’s grip remained unrelenting.

“Why not then?” Lexa almost barked the question out, her eyes intently searching the princess’ face.

“The coalition…” Freya began, swallowing heavily and feeling her body shaking in anticipation “…it should not fail” she croaked out weakly.

Lexa raised an eyebrow at the girl critically, as her thoughts whirled in her mind, wondering for the reason “You think that the coalition should not fail?” she echoed critically, her grip on the girl’s chin getting even firmer.

Freya winced visibly, she was sure that the commander’s fingers would leave slight bruising on her chin, she tried to keep her voice as steady as possible “I have seen the villages at the border beginning to flourish, the villagers do not starve any longer” she reasoned honestly.

Lexa abruptly let go of the Ice princess’ chin, taking a sudden step back, while she internally debated about the girl’s words.

Freya had to steady herself with her hands on her knees, she could feel how her limps began to shake when her strength began to dwindle down further.

Indra’s grip on her sword tightened and impatience was evident on her features “Heda, let me finish her for you and end this farce!”

Freya swallowed again, as fear consumed her mind and with widened eyes, she sought out the commander, hoping against all sense, that the woman would let her live.

“Enough, Indra, she will not die for this” Lexa proclaimed, tone laced with annoyance and she stared at the dark-skinned warrior for long moments, before she turned to the burly man “The union will take place as soon as possible, Gustus” her voice did not leave room for any discussion.

The burly man inclined her head towards the commander, before his gaze travelled to the Ice princess. His dark eyes narrowed and a disgusted grimace twisted his features at the sight of the weak girl, still kneeling on the floor at the commander’s feet.

Freya only shortly glanced up at him, averting her eyes immediately when she noticed the pure hatred in the man’s dark eyes. A shudder ran through her frame as she realized that she was meant to be bonded to this man. The prospect of being bonded instead of being executed did not sound as appealing now, as Freya had hoped. She knew that the man could basically do with her as he pleased and she hung her head, realizing that she had gotten away from her mother’s wrath, only to be handed over to another tormentor.

Lexa’s attention turned to Nyko, who still lingered at the entrance to the throne room “How long will she require further treatment?” she asked loudly. It was obvious that the girl was in no physical condition to be bonded right at this moment.

Nyko stepped further into the room, he would be required to help the girl back anyway “I cannot say, the infection still runs deeply through her body” he answered honestly, brows creased in doubt “She may never heal” he assessed truthfully. He had been treating the Ice princess for a few days already and there had been no real progress so far.

The commander's gaze seemed almost pitiful as she looked at the Ice princess again: "Do your best. The union will take place, as soon as she is of better health."

Internally, Freya thought darkly that her soon to be bonded would probably pray for the fact that she would succumb to the infection and that he would not be forced to bond with her at all.

The words were a clear dismissal and Nyko patiently helped the girl back to her feet, carrying most her weight, as she guided her out of the throne room again.

~ ~ ~

Freya learned quickly that it had been way easier to accept the healer’s treatment while she had been out of it and had not realized what was happening to her.

She was not used to receive the care of a healer. Her mother had usually taken great care that her wounds would not require the attention of a healer and during the last months, she had only been touched with the intention to only increase her pain. The most care she had received from her mother, had been a reprieve from another painful lesson for a few days.

She winced every time the healer touched her back and she could hear the man behind her emit a tutting sound of disapproval “A part has reopened” he proclaimed with a slight grimace “I will need to re-do some of the stitches”.

Freya pressed her lips together strongly, determined not to cry out and jerked her head in a nod to signal to the healer that he could begin.

Against her firm intentions, Freya began to whimper pitifully right from the moment the man pressed the needle through her inflamed skin and soon her whimpers turned into low wails of anguish, as she felt fresh blood run down her back. 

She almost greedily accepted more of the tea which would allow her to sleep without pain afterwards, feeling its reliving effects take hold of her mind only moments after Nyko had finished.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for a little clarity, this story takes place before the 100 come down to earth.

Chapter 3

After her meeting with the commander Freya’s days quickly began to blend into each other.

The fact, that she had ripped some of the already healing stitches on her walk to the throne room, did not help her recovery now, one bit. The fever kept on raging through her body for several days as Freya slowly adapted to her new routine.

She had not stepped foot out of the room in which Nyko treated her, but she had seen that a pair of guards was always posted at the entrance of her small room. The room was already much bigger than the small cell, she had not been allowed to leave over the course of the last few months.

She had also direly missed the sight of the sun and was internally happy that this room had the luxury of a window, so Freya had at least a little perception of the way time flowed by now. She did not perceive the isolation as a punishment but rather marvelled in the peace it offered. Freya tried to keep her thoughts forcefully away from the impending bonding and instead just listened to the sounds of the citizens of the capitol milling around the tower.

The only one she saw through the day was Nyko and a handmaid. The healer changed her bandages two times a day, applying a strongly smelling reddish paste to her back. He was taking care of her with such gentle touches that she quickly felt safer in his company with each passing day and barely minded him touching her anymore. The room was kept clean and the furs were exchanged daily, as her wounds still bled through the bandages in the first days. She was offered food at least three times a day, water always was available to her in the small room as well.

Freya felt it, when her fever finally broke and her mind became clearer with each day. Nyko also did not supply her with the tea any longer, resulting in the fact that she was now awake through the day as well, which allowed her much more time to think than she felt comfortable with.

Freya thought that she could almost begin to enjoy her time in the capitol, if it were not for her certainty that with each passing day of her slowly healing and regaining a little of strength, the bonding would inch closer as well. She had not seen Gustus at all so she had no idea what kind of man he was. When she asked Nyko after him, she was only told that he was a loyal guard to the commander.

Another sickening thought had settled into her mind in the last days, she had no idea just how long she now already resided within the capitol.

She was judging that enough time must have passed for the entourage who had brought her to the capitol to make their way back to her mother’s fortress. So, her mother would probably be aware of her failure by now and she would have probably also have heard of her continued survival. Freya shuddered at the thought of her mother sending assassins behind her to finish what the commander had not done. She wondered if her mother truly hated her enough to order her death like that, a bitter snort escaped her lips, of course her mother would.

She had asked the healer after her brother yesterday, but the man had ignored her question, only grunting in response. Her mother had been convinced that Lexa would not keep her word of simply keeping Roan in Polis as a political prisoner, there had been no inclusion on her brother’s health in the agreement and her mother had assumed the worth. Freya longed to see Roan again and with him the only one left alive for who she truly cared. She did not know, if she would be allowed to see him at a later point. Political prisoners in Azgeda were mostly confined into a cell as well, no visitors allowed. She guessed that it would depend on the commander and probably even Gustus approval and she sighed sadly, being fairly certain that both of them would disagree with her wish.

~ ~ ~

Freya’s thoughts also repeatedly were occupied with the question of why the commander had not ordered her immediate execution. She could not think of a single benefit the commander had from letting her survive and keeping a healer occupied to nurse her back to health.

She was startled out of her thoughts, when a light knock fell against the door to her room; Nyko and the handmaid never proclaimed their arrival by knocking. She looked at the door with wide eyes and her breathing quickened, she had the smallest foreboding that it could be Gustus, coming to maybe get to know her at least a little.

The door was swiftly pushed open, before Freya could make up her mind on whether to call out or not. Her eyes widened even further, when the commander in person stepped into the room.

Freya noticed that the other woman’s armour seemed to be missing and the commander was only dressed in a dark shirt, tight fitting black trousers and boots. The princess immediately lowered her eyes respectfully, bending her head down as well. Her heart rate picked up slightly, wondering internally if the leader might have changed her mind and would proclaim her impending execution now. Freya swallowed thickly, feeling the weight of the commander’s gaze falling heavily on herself, but she remained silent; her mother had usually preferred her to be silent, so she assumed silence if she was not asked something was the safest approach.

“Nyko has reported that your health is recovering nicely now” Lexa addressed the Ice princess after long moments of heavy silence. It was obvious that the girl was on the road to recovery, she was not swaying on her feet any longer and according to Nyko’s reports her fever had broken a few days ago. She still looked frail and sickly pale, but she did not seem to be on the brink of death any longer.

Freya only nodded her head mutely, not looking up at all. She had felt that the fever had broken and not returned again. The skin on her back was finally beginning to truly heal and although the formation of the scars hurt, it was no comparison to the burning pain of the flesh slowly rotting away.

“If I were to follow the advice from my advisor and generals, I would publicly execute you and by thus reject Azgeda from the coalition, setting an example for the other clans” Lexa continued, keeping close watch on the little cues the girl still gave away, even though she could not see her face.

Freya felt her breath catching in her throat again and swallowed loudly, she kept her head lowered before she looked up at the young leader. Her expression looked troubled, but her blue eyes showed her determination, as she answered “I am not going to plead for my life, Heda, but I will plead for the lives of Azgeda. Execute me, but please do not reject Azgeda from the coalition, my mother is a fool if she thinks that Azgeda can survive alone” her voice was heavily laced with emotion as she spoke. She would willingly accept her own execution, if it would save her people, she had not expected to survive this long anyway.

Lexa contemplated the Ice princess’ words for a moment, the girl had seemed honest and she internally wondered why the girl thought that her own acceptance of her execution would be enough to allow Azgeda to remain part of the coalition. It intrigued her slightly to spot the easy acceptance of her own death in the girl’s blue eyes. “Why do you not plead for your own life?” she asked after another moment, genuinely curious.

Freya blinked at the commander in confusion for a second, before she retorted in a serious tone “I had not expected to be allowed to live after the discovery of the dagger” she admitted truthfully “I will never be welcomed back into Azgeda under my mother’s reign and I doubt the impending union will…” she hesitated to continue, unsure on how to voice her worries.

“Your mother has banished you from her lands?” the commander inquired in a calm tone.

Freya nodded, a lump formed in her throat at the realization that she would never be allowed to return home “If I should fail, I was not supposed to return…” she let her words trail off, sadness seeping into her tone, Azgeda had been everything she ever knew.

A hint of compassion flitted over the commander’s features, as she observed the Ice princess, although the girl was physically visibly weakened, her mind had obviously not been completely broken by what her own mother had subjected her to and in the privacy of her own thoughts, Lexa was able to find a small sliver of admiration for this kind of endurance and strength. “Have you thought about trying to actually assassinate me?” she questioned, voice steeling a little.

Freya’s eyes widened slightly “Not since leaving Azgeda, I knew that I would have never succeeded” she admitted honestly. She had the feeling that the commander was still testing her, probably to assess if she ever could be trustworthy and without anywhere to ever return to, she direly needed the leader’s acceptance. “When I saw how the villages at the border are beginning to flourish, I knew that I should not even try” she added after a second of silence. Even if she would have succeeded, she would have died alongside the commander for sure.

Lexa inclined her head mutely; the girl had already voiced this reason before and she could not detect a lie in the girl’s blue eyes. It surprised her internally how honest the Ice princess seemed to be, although it was obvious that she shared her mother’s eyes, Lexa wondered if there was anything more of Nia within her daughter. “You are not pleased with the impending bonding?” she questioned in a calm tone, the blonde girl had seemed afraid even of the prospect.

Freya lowered her head again and she answered in an almost strangled tone “My feelings on the prospect do not matter…”.

Lexa frowned and her eyes narrowed, she wondered why this was now the first question the princess was not answering freely. “I demand to hear them nonetheless” she proclaimed in a sharp tone, expression strict and green eyes unrelenting.

Freya looked up again, swallowing once, before she inclined her head with a mute sigh. “To see my intended’s reaction to me, was telling enough” she said, a hint of bitterness in her words, before she added “If you wait long enough, it might solve itself on its own” her face had turned even darker.

Lexa’s frown deepened and her brows creased in confusion. She was aware that Gustus was not truly pleased at the prospect to have to bond with the Ice princess, but there would surely be other options as well; she would speak with him again to determine if he truly was unwilling, the girl had clearly already suffered through enough that she did not need to add to it wilfully. She was not entirely sure what the princess had meant with her last words though.

Noticing the confusion flitting over the commander’s face, Freya explained “My mother will have heard about my failure by now. I am sure that she will send assassins behind me to finish, what you did not” fear flashed over her features at the prospect, she knew well enough that her mother’s assassins might not grant her a quick death either.

Understanding dawned on Lexa and she inclined her head “You are already under constant guard protection, it will remain that way” she proclaimed.

Freya internally doubted that a single pair of guards would be enough to keep out an Azgeda assassin on a mission, but she did not voice her thoughts out loud. When the commander turned to leave, Freya stopped her quickly, she did not know when she would have another opportunity to speak privately to the woman. She hesitated for the fraction of a second, before she said “You ought to send an assassin to my mother’s fortress” she advised and when she noticed the commander’s eyes visibly narrowing, she added “My mother trained a nightblood girl in hiding, her name is Ontari…” she hesitated again, swallowing forcefully. She knew that her mother would let her suffer for days, before she granted her the absolution of death, if she ever heard of this conversation and she was unsure if the commander would believe her words “…you do not want her to have the chance to become commander. She is even more ruthless than my mother".

Lexa turned back, fully facing the Ice princess and her green eyes bore down at the girl “Why are you telling me this?” she questioned, suspicious of the girl offering such delicate information without a personal motivation.

“An Ice Nation commander under my mother’s influence would shatter the coalition” Freya reasoned truthfully. She knew that Azgeda would probably flourish in this instance, but the other clans would be bled dry instead.

Lexa nodded in acceptance, it at least explained why Nia kept on provoking her, trying to lure her into a battle with Azgeda, probably hoping to remove her from her position and put Ontari into the position of the commander instead. “Could the girl be educated, removed from your mother’s influence?” she asked after a moment, nightblood was considered to be sacred and spilling it needlessly, was a great crime, but she would rather have the girl assassinated than her own destiny being destroyed.

Freya shook her head “I do not think so” she voiced out loud. She had experienced Ontari’s growing cruelty over the years. The girl might have been saveable years ago, but the nightblood had adopted her mother’s way of thinking without question, revelling in the pain of others. Freya lowly explained to the commander how the nightblood girl had seemed to take personal pleasure in being allowed to participate in her own “lessons”.

Lexa sighed under her breath, but nodded her head in acceptance “I will send assassins” she proclaimed in a decisive tone. There had been ruthless and bloodthirsty commanders before, but with that kind of a leader, their people would never be able to truly flourish again.

Freya nodded, surprise flashing over her features, she had not expected the commander to believe within her words this easily. She fleetingly wondered, if she might have been able to get close enough to the woman to have the chance to assassinate her, if she had been of better health at her arrival in the capitol. She forced the thoughts from her mind quickly, she had spoken the truth before and she should not even contemplate such a thing.

She was pulled out of her thoughts, when the commander spoke up “The union will take place tonight”.

Freya blinked at the other woman in astonishment, but before she could open her mouth and wonder why the leader was hurrying along the union now, the woman had already turned on her heel and left her alone again. Freya felt as if she would be physically ill any moment, she had been convinced to have more time left and the prospect of the union frightened her deeply, more so than an execution would have, because the unknown of the union elicited different fears. The execution would have ended sooner or later in her death and she had no idea on what to expect from this union.

Nyko came into the room only a short moment later, the discontented frown sitting on his features, told Freya easily, that he had been told of the impending union. The man had not declared her healthy enough yet for it to take place now, but she doubted he could say anything against a direct order from the commander.

She hesitantly asked him for how many days he had been treating her already, while he changed the bandage around her torso again.

“Twenty days now” came the gruff reply and Freya sucked in a harsh breath. The time span would have been long enough that she was certain that her mother’s assassins were either close to the capitol or already lurking around the streets.

The man did not heed her reaction any mind and left her alone again only short moments later. Absentmindedly Freya wondered, if she would see him again, who knew if her intended would allow her excess to a healer or not.

Another handmaid entered the room soon after, carrying a pale blue dress in her arms. The dress had a simple cut and did not appear to have much decoration, but it seemed to be relatively new, it could have even been specifically tailored for the occasion and Freya wondered why the commander was bestowing her with such an honour.

She passively allowed the handmaid to help her to put on the dress and let herself be pushed onto a low stool. The handmaid brushed out her long blonde hair and with practised fingers began to weave a variety of little braids into it. Freya remained motionless through it all, trying to reign in her rising panic somehow, there was nothing she could do against the union anyway.

She obediently followed the handmaid out of the room, when she was asked to. Freya felt a small flash of sadness of having to leave the room, she had been treated better in it than she had been for months in her mother’s fortress and she could only hope that the union would not be a replication of her mother’s torture.

She faltered in her steps a few times on the way, but thankfully the handmaid accompanying her, did not make any comments and allowed them to walk at Freya’s pace.

Freya swallowed thickly when she recognized the door to the throne room and she felt as if she was truly walking into her own execution as the doors were pushed open for her and she entered slowly. She immediately spotted the commander sitting on her throne, the woman inclined her head in a mute gesture of acknowledgement and Freya swallowed again, her breath quickening.

Freya frowned when she noticed that Gustus would not present at all, besides a number of guards standing scattered through the throne room, only a bald man and Anya stood in front of the throne. She wondered if she would be bonded with this man instead, but his ceremonial clothing made her wonder who he was.

She hesitantly stepped closer to the general and the unknown bald man, his dark eyes simmered with rage and hate as well. Freya felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach at his scathing look and she averted her eyes to the general instead. The other woman was looking at her with a surprisingly neutral expression.

“Heda, we still…” the bald man addressed the commander, obviously taking up an old argument again.

Lexa silenced him with a light glare “Begin, Titus” she ordered in a hard tone, leaving no room for any further discussion.

Titus nodded begrudgingly and turned slightly to face Anya and the Ice princess, directing them to stand next to each other.

Freya’s head swam, as she realized that she was in fact going to be bonded to the female general. She was confused by the concept and although she tried to keep her attention on the ongoing ceremony, she only heard the words, as if her head was stuck deep beneath water. She agreed in a monotonous voice at the places, where she was required to and her mouth got dried with every passing second.

The ceremony was concluded shortly after and Freya’s breath shuddered at the proclamation that they were now officially bonded and had a week to consummate said bond.

Heavy fear clouded her mind, when she almost blindly stumbled behind the general out of the throne room. She was led down a corridor and into a room on the same level, being ushered inside, while the general let the door fall shut loudly behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Freya’s eyes shortly flitted through the room, quickly taking in its furniture and style. The room was much grander than the one, she had been treated in for the last days. It was dominated by a large bed and Freya felt her breath getting caught in her throat again, as her heart rate picked up in fright. She knew theoretically what it meant to consummate such a bond, but the prospect made the blood in her veins turn to ice.

She heard the general moving behind her through the room, even against the loud rushing sound resonating through her ears.

Anya went through the room silently, lighting a few candles scattered around the room, night had already begun to fall outside. She glanced over at the princess and frowned, the girl stood in the middle of the room, stiff as a statue, wide eyed and visibly shaking.

“Strip” she ordered bluntly, beginning to take off her own armour without waiting for an actual response. She thought that consummating the bond immediately would be for the best and she wished to get over with it as soon as possible.

Freya swallowed thickly, mouth dry, while she inclined her head in mute acceptance. Her fingers shook strongly as they moved to the hem of the dress. She shrugged out of the dress quickly, without looking up. She self-consciously wound her arms around her body, trying to shield as much from herself as possible. Only the white bandage remained wound around her midriff and Freya was well aware of the pitiful state of her own body. She had thinned visibly over the last few months and her body was littered with various scars. Unsure of what exactly was expected of her now, she remained standing in the middle of the room, eyes glued to the floor at her feet, shivering against the cold breeze and the nervousness coursing through her veins.

When Anya had divested herself of her clothing, folding everything carefully onto a chair, she turned back around to face the Ice princess. The girl still stood in the middle of the room and her shivering was more pronounced now, her shoulders were hunched, as if she was trying to make herself even smaller. Her brown eyes shortly flitted over the girl’s body as she moved around her, to face her. Anya noticed how thin the girl looked, she could clearly count every rib peeking out beneath the bandage. Her scarred skin spoke the story of long and cruel torture, but she had obviously survived. She frowned when she noticed how the girl kept her hands firmly in front of her pubic region. She rolled her eyes at the girl shyness. She would admit that the Ice princess surely did not possess the most beautiful body that Anya had seen before, but she did not have to hide herself like that either.

She stretched out her hand towards the girl, intent on directing her to the bed, when a sudden thought made her pause and she let her hand sink down again “You have already shared your furs with someone before, have you not?” she asked gruffly, hands resting on her own hips for now.

Freya swallowed again, while she shook her head in the negative. No one within her mother’s fortress would have dared to touch a single hair on her head without being ordered to and she had been held in complete isolation for the last months. She also had never witnessed such an act before, so she only had a very basic idea of what was supposed to happen between them.

Anya’s lips thinned in irritation and she let out a sigh, prompting the girl to look up for the first time since they had entered the room together. The girl’s blue eyes were not clouded by lust or even a sliver of passion, but rather widened in pure horror. “How many summers have you seen?” the general asked, voice coloured with disbelieve.

“Sixteen” Freya breathed back softly. She lowered her eyes immediately, when she saw the general pinching the bridge of her nose with clear annoyance flashing over her features. Freya had not noticed how close the general had already moved to her and as she lowered her gaze, she unwillingly looked at the other woman’s pubic area. Her eyes widened at the sight.

“So, I gather that you have not seen a cock before?” Anya asked casually. The girl’s reaction of a sharp inhale as her eyes lowered, had been too obvious to miss.

Freya shook her head quickly, trying to keep her eyes completely averted from Anya’s naked body. She had seen the muscles flexing beneath her skin, as she moved her weight from one leg to the other, the general was obviously well trained and physically strong.

Anya sighed again, changing her mind on her plan to consummate the bond immediately. The girl seemed terrified enough already to simply be in the room with her and she had not even touched her at all yet. “I do not want to have to take you with force against your will” she proclaimed honestly and motioned to the bed. She had simply not expected the girl to be this inexperienced and frightened. She doubted that Gustus would have extended the same courtesy to the Ice princess and Anya was weirdly glad that she had accepted the commander’s proposal to enter the union in Gustus’ stead. The man’s patience was even thinner than her own in private and it was obvious that the girl would need patience to get used to the idea of the union. Anya only wondered if her own patience would suffice.

She huffed lowly, when the girl remained rooted to the spot several moments later. Anya went around the bed and picked up a nightgown, letting the material slide down her body “Sleep, you are still healing” she ordered calmly and quickly blew out a few candles again.

Freya nodded, feeling relived that she had gotten a little reprieve. Her body still shook and her steps were unsteady, as she stepped over to the bed and hesitated for a moment, before she slipped under the furs cautiously. The mattress was surprisingly soft and comfy and the furs were extremely soft against her skin as well.

Anya watched the girl comply with her order from the corner of her eyes, satisfied that the girl at least seemed willing to listen to her words and sleep in the same bed. “We have a week to consummate the bond” she commented lightly, as she slipped under the furs next to the girl. It was obvious that the girl would need a little time to get used to her simple proximity before Anya could even begin to try to coax her into her bed.

Freya held her breath in anticipation, when she felt the mattress dip with the weight of the general’s body. Just because she had proclaimed that they would not be consummating the bond now, did not mean that she could not change her mind again just as quickly. Freya’s body was tense and her breathing still elated as she waited in the darkness for something to happen.

The general had lied down more towards the middle of the bed, but the bed was vast enough that Freya barely felt the heat radiating off her body, while she remained on the edge of the mattress. She listened closely to the other woman’s breathing and was surprised by the fact of how quickly it evened out next to her.

Freya needed longer to let her body gradually relax as well, but when she did, she slipped into oblivion quickly.

~ ~ ~

When consciousness returned to Freya on the next morning, she woke to the sensation of someone else’s skin pressed against her bare side and she immediately tensed. Sometime during the night one of them must have moved closer to the other and they now were lying with their bare arms touching. Freya held her breath for a moment until she quickly looked over to the other woman and found her asleep still and she let out a relieved bout of air.

Cautiously, internally hoping not to wake Anya up just yet by her movements, Freya turned onto her side, so that she could truly take a look at the general.

Soft light already fell into the room and the curtains in front of the large windows, where some panes of glass were missing, moved slightly from a breeze, bringing fresh air inside.

It was a weird concept to think of the general as her bonded now. They did not know each other at all and during the two contacts, they had had before the bonding, the general had been austere and suspicious. Freya could only hope that the other woman would be at least a little softer in private. The fact that Anya had not forced the consummation of the bonding last night, gave her a sliver of hope in that direction.

She let her gaze travel over the other woman’s features. They were relaxed in sleep and they appeared softer somehow, now Anya’s face just showed prominent and strong, almost elegant, features, while the harshness was softened with sleep.

Anya’s face was slightly tilted in her direction and Freya let her gaze travel over her defined cheekbones, taking in her sharp jaw and her fine eyebrows. A little bit of the war paint she had worn around her eyes, still remained, rimming them in a hint of black colour, now smudged slightly.

Internally, Freya wondered if she could grow to like this woman with time, maybe even love her. But she still highly doubted, that she would even have enough time left to find out. She knew that her mother’s assassins would already be lurking around, looking for a chance to take her out. Maybe that had been why the commander had rushed the union. If she now died after the commander had accepted her in a union to one of her high-ranking generals, it would look better for the commander than having her die as an unofficial prisoner.

She could not see much of Anya’s body at the moment, as the woman had pulled the furs up to her armpits. Freya could see a black tattoo trailing around the woman’s right arm and she wondered what it stood for. When she let her eyes wander back to the woman’s face, she startled when she looked right into Anya’s deep brown eyes.

Freya drew in a startled gasp at having been caught staring like that and immediately averted her eyes, as a slight blush rose to her cheeks, feeling utterly uncomfortable. She hoped that the general would not take insult from her silent staring. She had no experience with sharing a sleeping place with anyone and she was clueless on what was expected of her now.

Slight amusement danced through Anya’s eyes at the girl’s reaction to having been caught red-handed in her staring. She hoped that the fact that the girl was obviously showing at least a little interest in her pointed towards the fact that the princess was intent to make this bond work somehow.

Anya had no interest in spending time in the girl’s presence simply for the sake of the bond, if they did not grow closer in the next weeks. She knew that she could leave the Ice princess behind in the tower and take command over one of the Trikru outposts, no one would think any less of her if she did so.

She had previously heard Gustus raging to another warrior over a cup of wine at the prospect of having to bond to Nia’s spawn, who so clearly was still a girl and a deeply frightened one at that. Anya had to agree with him in parts, she would not think of Freya as a woman yet either, but the girl was different from anything she had expected her to be. She had personally met her brother and the man, although of course a few years older, was bolstering with confidence and arrogance. Freya still appeared to be a shy, skittish girl, who had clearly suffered through physical torture. Her exaggerated fearful reactions fitted those of a torture victim as well and Anya knew that she had to be gentle with Freya if she ever wished for something to develop between them. She hoped that they would be able to find some common ground or the whole bonding would remain strained. Anya had never thought about settling down and starting a family before, this future had simply never been in the scope of possibility and Anya did not like to think in the concept of what-ifs.

Anya stretched herself under the furs, extending her arms above her head and pushing her chest upwards, as her back arched upwards from the mattress. Her back cracked slightly before she relaxed herself again, while she felt the girl’s gaze resting on her body from beside herself. She had no problem with slipping out from under the furs and undressing of the nightgown in front of her, she could almost feel the girl’s gaze burning on her back. Anya knew that she had no reason to be self-conscious of her body and had no problem in letting the girl look her fill.

She walked through the room stark naked, looking through a chest filled with clothes, before she pulled something out, dressing herself quickly for her morning training.

“Nyko should come soon to change the bandages” Anya finally broke the heavy silence between them. Grinding her teeth together slightly at the lack of a verbal answer from the girl, Anya resigned herself to try to have some more patience with her.

Freya nodded in acceptance, but only pulled the furs tighter around her thin form. Even under the furs she was slightly shivering, the morning breeze had cooled the room down and she already felt the loss of body heat from Anya and the bed cooling around herself.

Anya stepped in front of another chest, pointing at it “There are more clothes in the trunk. Feel free to take whatever you want. A tailor can take your measures later to have some more made for you.” Anya hoped that at least some of the things would fit the girl, but they had misjudged how thin and small the princess was, so she was fairly certain that a tailor would definitely be needed. Although Anya never had been into senseless chatter and usually enjoyed the quiet of the morning, the complete lack of a verbal response was unnerving slightly.

She huffed under her breath “I will come back later to show you around” she declared loudly, as she strapped her weapons to her person. Anya did not wait for an answer this time, striding from the room in silence instead.

Freya looked behind the general for a few moments. She heard the sounds of guards moving into place in front of the doors. Unsure of what exactly to do or when Anya would be returning for her, Freya stretched under the furs wincing slightly when the skin on her back pulled tight at her movements. She planned to just wait for Nyko first to have her bandages changed, before she put on any clothing.

She must have dozed off again, because she startled awake when a knock sounded on the door. A second later, the door was opened and Nyko stepped inside carrying a basket.

“Morning” the man greeted her gruffly and waited for her to climb out of the bed, placing the basket on a table.

Freya quickly stood up, wrapping her arms around her naked body immediately, shivering from the cold air. She stood stiff and still, while she waited for the healer to do his work. Although Freya had gotten used to him seeing her partially undressed, standing completely naked in front of him unnerved her even more.

Nyko removed the bandage from his patient’s body, gently prodding at the healing wound. He frowned slightly, when he spotted that fresh blood had seeped into the bandage. He was unable to spot blood between the girl’s legs, so he doubted that the bond had actually been consummated. If necessary, he could still testify that he had seen blood in their bed, he just did not need to explain where it had come from.

The girl’s back seemed finally free of the infection, but he still applied more of the ointment to her skin gently. It would be safer to treat her for a few days longer, than having to start anew if he had missed something. He wound a fresh bandage around her back again, covering the affected area, before he stepped back. Nyko gathered his supplies back into his basket and left the princess again, she had taken up a fur and wrapped it around her body, clearly shivering from being too cold.

Once she was left again, Freya began to inspect the room. She noticed a door, which had not caught her attention on the previous evening. Curiously, she peered inside and it turned out to be bathroom. A large tube stood in the centre of the room and Freya hoped that she would be allowed to use it, it had been a long time ago that she had been able to enjoy a warm bath. She also found a water basinet, filled with clean water and Freya quickly washed herself. She did not pick up the brush, sitting on the sink. She could not comfortably lift her hands high enough to brush out the braids and she hoped that it would be alright, if she left them in place. They did look well enough that they would not need to be replaced today either.

When she returned into the main room, Freya first picked up her dress from the floor. She did not know if she should be wearing it today again. Dresses were usually reserved for special occasions and she was not certain that it had only been an item of loan anyway. She re-arranged the furs on the bed and folded the dress, placing it on the bed afterwards. Freya let her fingertips glide over the fabric of the dress once again, it had been surprisingly soft against her skin and she did not know of which material it consisted.

She looked through the chest at the foot of the bed, Anya had pointed out previously. Freya was positively surprised to spot a simple black dress among the clothes. She pulled it out and slowly dressed into it, wincing when she had to pull it over her head. Freya frowned slightly, the dress was obviously much too loose on her thin body and the fabric was too long, falling over her feet. Fortunately, Freya found a belt within the chest and pulled some of the dress upwards, fixating it above her hips with the belt. She feared that the other clothes inside the chest would fit her even worse and she hoped that Anya would truly bring her to a tailor later.

Freya glanced at the exit of the room shortly, but she was not sure if she was allowed to leave the room or not. She had the gnawing suspicion that the bonding had not changed anything at her lack of freedom, but she could still pretend in her head, that she would be free to go outside, if she did not ask.

Her attention was caught by the door on the other side of the room and Freya’s eyes widened at the sight of the balcony and the truly exceptionally sight it offered over the capitol. She stepped out cautiously, feet cold against the stone floor of the balcony. Freya grasped onto the railing and leant against it, with a smile pulling at her lips, while she closed her eyes, as the wind breathed over her face. She had never been so high up and Freya felt as if she could almost touch the clouds above the tower. She glanced upwards minutely, to see that the tower was actually much higher. But she thought the people on the market directly below the balcony still looked awfully small and she could not make out any kind of specifics. She watched them milling around for long moments, until she closed her eyes again and simply enjoyed the feeling of the soft breeze whispering around her face and the sun shining onto her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Anya returned to her room after her training, she found it empty. The general frowned, sure that the guards would have told her if the princess had left the room. The guards had also still been the same as when she had left, so no assassin should have been able to find his way inside either.

Anya noticed the folded dress on the bed and that the furs had been tidied up as well. She knew for a fact that the handmaids had not been inside her room yet, so Freya must have cleaned up.

She peeked inside the bathroom shortly, finding it empty as well. The bathing tube was also empty, so no bath had been drawn yet.

The last thing she checked, was the balcony. Anya hovered in the door of the balcony for long moments. The Ice princess stood leaned against the railing, face tilted upwards into the sun and a contented expression rested on her features, while she had obviously not noticed her arrival just yet. Relaxed and content like that, Anya could spot the softness of the girl’s features, weirdly accentuated by the floral scars decorating her face.

Anya cleared her throat loudly, acknowledging her presence, before she stepped up to Freya, coming to stand beside her. She wiped at the sweat running down her forehead, the training session had been exerting.

Freya startled slightly and the peaceful look froze on her face, as fear flashed through her blue eyes.

Anya sighed under her breath. It would be hard to find a connection to the girl quickly enough for them to consummate the bond in time, if the girl remained this skittish. Anya could only hope that Freya would calm down in the next days, once she realized that she had no intention of physically harming her.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” Anya asked in a calm tone, breaking the silence between them. She usually only had breakfast after her first training session, which she picked up from the kitchen or market herself.

Freya shook her head in the negative mutely, no one had offered her breakfast yet and she had not cared to asked if she was allowed to leave the room.

Anya frowned slightly “Have you left the room at all?” she questioned with a critically raised brow.

Freya shook her head again and mumbled “I was not sure, if I would be allowed…” she trailed off, with a blush colouring her cheeks.

Anya rolled her eyes with a huff. After their bonding the princess was not a prisoner any longer and would not be treated by her as such. “You are allowed to walk through the tower to your liking” Anya informed the girl “The guards will tell you, if a room is closed off”.

Freya nodded, a mixture of surprise and relief flashing over her features. She found it hard to believe, that she was allowed to go where ever she wished, she immediately wondered if she would be able to locate her brother in the tower.

“I however do not wish you to venture out of the tower alone” Anya continued, brown eyes sharp “Guards or I will accompany you. The streets may not be safe for you”. Lexa had told her about the princess’ fears of assassins and she had to agree with her. There would also surely be people who would not accept that the Ice princess had been allowed to live just like that. Anya herself did not know the commander’s reasoning, but it was not her place to question Lexa in this regard, trusting her judgment instead.

Genuine surprise flashed over Freya’s features again. Her mother had never allowed her to venture outside of the fortress to her pleasing, she had only been allowed to leave with her father or one of her brothers. The prospect of going out to visit the market, internally exited Freya.

“You are not a prisoner here” Anya repeated “We are bonded now after all” she added, feeling slightly affronted that the girl obviously expected this kind of treatment from her. A small voice in her mind, cautioned her that the girl probably did simply not expect anything better from life any longer, but Anya would see to it, that this changed.

The girl quickly nodded to show she understood the general’s words, but it would probably take her some time to get used to the freedom she now had once again. Her lack of speech was not due to lacking manners or her wanting to offend the general, Freya simply had learnt that less talking on her part usually resulted in less pain for herself as well.

When Freya noticed the impatience rising on the general’s austere features, she tried to explain herself “I am sorry…” she started honestly, lowering her eyes again.

Anya frowned, it unnerved her that the girl continued to avert her eyes at every opportunity. She knew theoretically that the princess was not doing this to be rude, but she needed to instil in her, that she expected certain things from her right from the beginning.

Freya forced herself to look up again and meet the general’s hard stare, her voice was low and quivering as she admitted “I have forgotten what it is like, not to be prisoner any longer…” sadness flashed over her features minutely, before she averted her eyes again.

Anya reached out, ignoring the flinch her hand appearing in Freya’s field of vision caused, and tilted the girl’s chin upwards “You will get used to it again” she proclaimed in a strong voice, features relaxed again. She let go of the girl’s chin immediately, but she was still pleased with the hint of a shaky smile ghosting over the princess’ mouth momentarily.

“Come” Anya addressed the girl, straightening herself “I will show you the way to the kitchens” she proclaimed, turning around and holding the door open for the princess to return inside. She frowned when she noticed that the girl had obviously stood barefoot on the balcony for who knows how long. She doubted that her frail body would withstand it if she caught a cold now. She also only noticed now that the black dress Freya had chosen for herself, was several sizes too large on her thin frame as well. She ordered her to put on shoes before they left and also proclaimed that they would go to a tailor today as well, the girl would need fitting clothes. The training had left her hungry and she could use the opportunity to get something to eat as well. Anya waited, casually leaning against a wall, while the girl put on some shoes. It was obvious that certain movements still caused her discomfort, but she did not make any audible sounds of distress either. Anya guessed that the girl would be used to a certain amount of pain.

Anya opened the door to her room, “their room” she corrected in her mind and stepped out into the hall, followed by Freya. She would do well to remember that she was bonded to the girl now, she was basically her wife now. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, when she looked over her shoulder and noticed the girl walking behind herself, trailing behind her with a submissively bowed head and hunched shoulders, eyes trained on the floor at her feet and several paces between them.

Anya waited until the girl had caught up with her, ignoring the stares of the guards stationed around the hall. “There is absolutely no need for you to trail behind me like that, as if you were a well-trained mutt” she commented in an annoyed tone.

Freya looked up at the general with a startled expression on her face, before she nodded, while a blush coloured her cheeks. She would definitely need time to understand her new role, she hoped that the general would later clearly voice what she specifically expected of her behaviour. It was clear already, that the behaviour her mother had preferred, was only annoying the other woman and Freya feared, what the general might do, when her patience ran out.

Anya guided them towards the elevator, as the kitchens were located on a lower floor and she doubted that forcing the girl to take the stairs would be good in her weakened state.

It was obvious that Freya tried to appear unaffected by the guards staring at her. All of the guards were eager to catch a glimpse of the Ice princess with their own eyes.

Anya thought that it did not appear as if the girl was enjoying to be the centre of attention like this and she hoped that Freya would grow more comfortable in the tower with time, she highly doubted that she would use the opportunity to go where ever she wanted, if she felt watched like that.

On the way to the kitchen, which passed in silence, Anya observed the Ice princess. The girl let her eyes trail over their surroundings carefully, quickly scanning around. She noted how the girl’s blue eyes seemed to shine for a short moment, when she saw something which clearly caught her interest, but the girl did not voice the wish to stop even once on their way. Anya knew that Freya would need something to occupy her time with. Nyko had cautioned her again that the Ice princess should still take it easy and rest a lot until all of her wounds had healed completely. But her time of healing would ultimately end at one point in the future and the girl would need a purpose then, she somehow doubted that the girl would have any idea on what she actually desired to do.

The girl showed particular interest whenever they encountered a child, some of the tower’s staff had their children living with them. Freya smiled sweetly at the younger children, clearly enamoured by them. The children reacted to her in a friendly manner as well, so Anya mused, that the Ice princess seemed to possess a natural affinity to children. Her own interest in children only grew, once the child was old enough to be trained as a warrior, Anya found it hard to deal with children younger than that. She had never contemplated the possibility of having a child of her own, without anyone to settle down with, the thought had never crossed her mind before, content with her life as a general.

Anya shortly wondered if she might have a child with the Ice princess one day, scarily enough, she could almost vividly picture the possibility in front of her eyes. She banished the image from her mind for now, Anya would discuss the possibility with Freya at one point, she would not assume that the girl even wished to have children just like that.

In the kitchens, they were immediately seen to. Anya was well known as one of the high-ranking generals and the commander’s previous mentor and she rarely was left waiting.

Anya frowned, as she watched the girl eat. Freya was only picking at her food, eating next to nothing from her portion. No wonder, that the girl was thin like this, she would also surely not be able to gain weight this way either. Anya noted to speak with her in the privacy of their room later, adding it to the already existing list in mind, of points she needed to address with her wife.

When she asked the girl to try to eat some more, Freya shook her head with a slight blush, mumbling that she would not be able to stomach any more. Anya sighed under her breath, she would need to speak with Nyko about this, trying to figure out, on how to help someone who had obviously been starved for months.

Anya wondered if she was truly cut out for this marriage. If she wanted this bond to work, she would also need to invest great effort into it, just as Freya would need to. She may not be having any feelings for the girl, who was now her wife, yet, but Anya would make sure that she was treated right from now on and she had no intention to make this marriage fail on purpose either.

Once they left the kitchens, Anya asked “Do you wish to have a look at the markets around the tower?”. The Ice princess had been in the capitol for almost a moon now and had not stepped foot out of the tower yet, the girl must be curious to see the capitol.

Freya immediately nodded in agreement, her blue eyes shining with joy at the prospect. She would feel better to inspect the streets in the general’s company instead of an unknown guard as well.

Anya inclined her head, motioning towards an entrance of the tower. The commander had specifically cleared her of some of her duties for a few days, so that she now had some free time to spend with her newly-wed wife.

Freya looked around the basement of the tower with interest. Guards were flanking the building on all sides, but she still doubted that they would be enough to keep her protected from her mother’s assassins. She blushed slightly, when she noticed that Anya remained in front of her, amusement dancing through her brown eyes, while Freya had stopped in her steps, looking up at the tower. She felt slightly dizzy at the sheer height of the building.

“The tower truly is a sight to behold” Anya commented nonchalantly, trying to diffuse the girl’s apparent shame.

Freya inclined her head, a shy smile flitting over her lips.

“The markets are this way” Anya directed, motioning over with her hands and waiting for her wife to get moving again. She had one hand at a dagger strapped to her hip and she knew that a few guards would be shadowing them on Lexa’s orders. They had not been sure if the Azgeda assassins would not try to take her out with their princess, when they pounced and it was better to be vigilant now.

The markets were still relatively empty at this early time of the morning and the merchants were still occupied with setting up their stalls.

Anya slowed her pace, when she noticed that the girl had gotten even slower as well, her attention switching between the stalls and their offers rapidly. The wonder flitting openly over her features easily showed, how intrigued the girl was by the sight and Anya wondered just how secluded the Ice princess’ life must have been before, to be this amazed by the sight of a simple market. She was glad that she had chosen to bring Freya outside now, Anya somehow doubted that the girl would enjoy a large crowd and would need to get used to the bustling streets of Polis gradually.

“You can choose whatever you would like to have” Anya offered honestly, guiding them closer to the stalls, so that Freya could truly look closer at the offered wares.

Freya looked genuinely surprised by the unexpected kind treatment and nodded absentmindedly, as her attention returned to the stall, they were now standing in front of.

Anya doubted that the girl would even take her up on her offer at all. The stall offered a variety of jewellery and she watched Freya eying a particular necklace for long moments. Anya waited patiently for Freya to voice her clear interest in the piece of jewellery, she noticed her looking over fleetingly, but to her internal annoyance the girl did not say a word. Anya minutely contemplated on letting it slide, but decided against this approach. The girl did not even have seemed to work out the courage to touch the pendant at all, although she could see her hands twitching at her sides, as if she was fighting against the urge to reach out.

Anya searched her coat, fishing out a small pouch filled with coins. “How much for this?” she addressed the merchant.

The man named a price and Anya frowned at how incredibly high it appeared.

Freya listened to their conversation with rapped attention. She had not dared to voice that she actually would like to have the pendant and she did not know how the general had picked up on her interest, nor had she actually expected the woman to act on it either. Cautiously, she extended her fingers, ready to snatch them back at any moment, before she hesitantly touched the pendant, turning it slightly, so that the sunlight got reflected by the gemstone.

Anya huffed at the price, she had not managed to haggle the price down by much. She noted how the reflected sunlight danced over Freya’s pale features and a genuine smile played around the corners of her mouth. She handed the pouch over to the merchant without further arguing further. She accepted the necklace from the merchant and asked Freya to turn around, opening the necklace while the princess did so.

Anya put the necklace around her slender neck, clasping it shut and nudged her to turn back around with a gentle hand. “It suits you” she commented honestly, the blue colour of the stone matched perfectly with the blue hue of her eyes.

“Thank you” Freya said in an awed voice and gently touching the pendant of the necklace and smiling shyly at Anya, who just nodded curtly in response.

Anya guided Freya further through the market, directing her over to a tailor’s stall. She quickly told the man that her wife would require a complete wardrobe.

Freya blushed visibly, at being named the general’s bonded in public like that, but she did not say anything. Her blue eyes rested on Anya, drawing security and a sense of calmness from the general’s presence, while the tailor bustled around her, taking her measurements quickly.

The tailor proclaimed that he would need at least three days to gather everything the general demanded to have delivered. Anya nodded in acceptance, telling him that he would get paid at the tower later, she was not carrying enough money on her person for such a grand purchase, steering the girl away from the stall.

Although Freya was still interested in the market around her, it became apparent quickly, that her strengths was running out already. The girl was slowing and her features showed her fatigue.

“We shall return to the tower” Anya proclaimed, voice slightly tinted with worry. She had not expected for the girl’s health to be this impaired still and she understood now, why Nyko had cautioned her to make sure that Freya rested as much as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Freya was glad when they reached their room in the tower, her body had begun to feel heavy and she was sweating from the exertion. They had not been outside of the tower for very long, but it appeared that her long time of sickness, had drained almost all of her physical reserves.

“You should rest” Anya advised in a calm tone, as she closed the door behind them.

Freya nodded her head weakly, letting her body sink onto the soft mattress. She groaned under her breath, as she lied down on her side and the skin on her back relaxed again. Her blue eyes remained open, while she watched Anya move through the room.

The general went into the bathroom shortly, washing up and removing the strains from the morning’s training session from her skin. She returned only moments later, water still glistening on her skin and dropping from her hair.

She looked over to the bed and immediately caught the princess’ blue eyes watching her every move. “Resting is usually more effective, when you close your eyes” Anya commented, voice hinting at a tease, while she dried herself off, unmindful of the girl’s clearly interested gaze.

Freya blushed slightly at the critical comment and lowered her eyes immediately, fiddling with the pendant around her neck instead.

Anya rolled her eyes at the girl’s reaction, Freya would certainly get used to her usage of irony with time. The comment had not been this cutting either, so she would probably have to curb her tongue for now to make it a little easier for Freya.

While she put on a fresh shirt, Anya could see that the girl’s eyes were still opened. “You do not wish to sleep at the moment?” she asked in a kind tone.

Freya shook her head slightly, still averting her eyes.

Anya sighed under her breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Freya quickly scurried with a slight hiss to make a little more room for the general.

“We should talk” Anya began calmly, ignoring the girl’s startled reaction. Now was as good as any other time, to point out what she expected of this bonding.

Freya glanced up at the other woman with a frown, in her thoughts she was frantically wondering what she could have done to upset the general, searching for something for which she should be apologizing.

“You do not need to apologize for anything, you have not done anything to apologize for” Anya picked up on the girl’s tenseness and the fear on her features. “I do not wish to hear senseless apologies from you nonstop” she added, tone sharpening slightly.

Freya nodded tensely, eyes fixated on the pendant in her fingers.

Anya sighed again, lips thinning in mounting annoyance, she took a deep breath to calm herself, before she opened her mouth again to continue “I also expect you to give me a verbal answer, when I am talking to you”.

Freya looked up minutely, blue eyes widened slightly in reaction, she nodded quickly. A blush rose on her cheeks, when Anya lowly growled under her breath in exasperation. “I will try…” she breathed back meekly.

“That should suffice for now” Anya conceded with a nod, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had known that this bonding would be strained, but she had not anticipated that the girl’s skittishness would annoy her to this degree. She wondered if Gustus would have thought the same, but Anya was fairly certain that the burly man would have preferred for the Ice princess to remain this meek and scared.

“I already told you, that you are not going to be a prisoner here” she repeated in a strong tone, casually crossing her legs over each other.

Freya nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing over her features “That is hard to believe…” she trailed off again. Her body had relaxed again on the soft mattress, for some reason the general’s closeness did not feel like a threat at the moment.

“You will get used to it with time” Anya commented, brown eyes softened slightly. She thought about asking why the princess had obviously been tortured at her mother’s hands, but she did not wish to spook the girl now. They still had other points to address beforehand.

“How should I…” Freya began to voice a question, but let her voice trail off again, unsure if she was allowed to ask the general something without being prompted to.

“You can speak freely here” Anya assured the girl in a firm tone. The princess should watch her tongue when others might be listening, but she would prefer it for her to speak her mind in privacy, they would never get to know each other otherwise.

“How should I address you?” Freya asked, voice shy, after she had nodded in agreement “General?” she offered in an unsure tone.

Anya frowned slightly at the suggestion “My name should do, there is no need for my wife to address me with my title”.

Freya nodded, while a slight blush coloured her cheek.

“Do you want to be addressed by your title?” Anya asked, her brows creased slightly.

Freya shook her head quickly “I am not a princess any longer…” she swallowed thickly and regret seemed clear on her features.

Anya frowned again “You are of loyal blood, no matter if your mother banished you from her lands for now” she proclaimed strongly. “So, “princess” it is?” she added, voice teasing, hoping to elicit a little smile instead of this deep look of sadness.

Freya snorted lightly under her breath, a smile tugging at her lips “Please, do not” she urged softly.

Anya inclined her head “It could be “wife” as well instead of your name” she said in a calm tone.

Freya’s brows creased slightly, she knew that the general was correct, but the term sounded weird, she did not feel like they were married and truly bonded.

“I shall continue to use your name for now” Anya conceded, the girl’s expression had been easy to read. She could understand that it would take time for both of them to accept the new bond.

Freya inclined her head again “Thank you…” she answered faintly.

“You eat very little” Anya commented after a moment of silence.

It was obvious that Freya was searching for a reply and did not know what to say exactly.

“I understand that it was probably not your choice” Anya added, before Freya could say anything “Nyko will search for something to make it easier for you” she told her wife, she would speak with the healer personally later.

“You know that we only have a few days to consummate the bond” Anya continued, voice calm and expression kind.

Freya swallowed again and nodded her head. Her body tensed automatically in response.

“Nyko could already confirm that you have bled last night” Anya said thoughtfully. She would prefer for this marriage to become real, but she would not force this on the Ice princess against her will and she would consider her choice.

Surprise flitted over the girl’s features and she frowned in confusion. Freya knew that they had not consummated the bond and she also knew that a healer could testify to that, if she would be looked at. She wondered why the general was even saying such a thing. Shame flashed over her features at the thought that the general might find her so repulsive that she would not even consider bedding her. “Why are you saying this?” she asked faintly, her blue eyes confused.

“I told you, that I do not intent to have to take you with force” Anya repeated her promise from the previous night. “You shall think about what it is that you wish to happen now” she said, eyes trained on the wall opposite of the bed.

“I do not understand” Freya retorted with creased brows.

“This bond can remain a marriage of convenience only” Anya said, voice grave “You can remain in the tower, I would only have to reside in your room, while I am in Polis”.

Freya sat up slightly, leaning on her elbow and she winced immediately “Where would you go?” she questioned.

“I can take up command of a Trikru outpost, we would only have to see each other once or twice a year” Anya answered. She had hoped to describe a different option to the Ice princess, but the girl did not appear reassured at all.

Freya remained silent for long moments and she had let herself sink back onto the mattress, pulling her knees slightly towards her chest “That is what you would prefer?” she asked in a quivering tone.

Anya looked back at the girl, shaking her head with a decisive expression on her strong features “It is not, no” she assured Freya strongly “I would prefer this to develop into a real marriage, but I shall not force you into one, if you are unwilling. So, as I said, think about this choice” she repeated, while she stood up from the bed again.

She took up her sword again “I will return to the training pits” she proclaimed, she was not expecting the girl to make up her mind right at this moment.

Freya watched the general leave in silence, her thoughts occupied with the other woman’s words. She had not foreseen the general to even offer her such a choice at all. She had no idea, what she actually wanted, she had never had the luxury of thinking in such term. Her mother had dictated every little detail of her life before and it had seemed reasonable, that the general would take over this role from now on.

It confused Freya, to now have to think about such things at all. She wondered again, if she could grow to feel something for the austere woman. She still was convinced that it would not matter in the long run, what she wished to happen at all. The assassins her mother had undoubtedly sent behind her, would find their way to her, no matter the protection she received here.

She still allowed herself a small moment to fantasize about how her life could turn out now. The general seemed to have sensible opinions, she could only admire the fact that the woman was intent to allow her, to make her own choices.

Freya had seen enough children in the tower already to know, that having a family of her own together with the general was a very real possibility. She had never really dared to dream about having a family before. She did not know what the general usually did through the day and she also had no idea what the woman might expect her to do.

She already thought to know that the general would not expect her to remain within their room in solitude.

Freya did not know if she might not prefer accompanying the general into a smaller outpost, she did not feel well in the crowded capitol, where she would forever be easy to find.

Freya fiddled with the pendant between her fingers again, she had never before received such a nice gesture from anyone just like that. The fact that the general had bought her a piece of jewellery, an item of luxury, not necessary for survival or of any practical use, let a weird warm feeling settle in the pit of her stomach. Freya had known solitude and imprisonment before and she was sure, that making the choice against a real marriage would probably lead her back to the same fate, she would give the general a chance.

~ ~ ~

Freya had not realized that she had dozed off at all and when she woke, it was to someone’s hand closing over her mouth and another hand squeezing harshly down on her throat.

Freya’s eyes widened in fright, her blood freezing to ice in her veins, when she noticed that it was not Anya who had woken her up.

A hooded figure stood above her and from the corner of her eyes, she saw another one, doing something at the fire.

“Scream and I will slit your throat instead” the hooded figure hissed, mouth lowered to her ear.

Freya shivered and nodded as tears gathered in her eyes. She had noticed the scars hidden under the hood of her attacker. Her mother’s assassins had obviously found her, but she did not understand why they had not killed her yet. If they had the order to bring her back to her mother, they would have knocked her out by now, it was easier to transport an unconscious prisoner without detection after all.

She began to fight uselessly against the figure’s hold over her body, when the second assassin neared the bed, a red-hot gleaming blade in his hands.

“Traitors do not get to carry the marks of Ice Nation” the hooded figure hissed into her ears and Freya tried to increase her struggle.

Her struggle did not help her in the end and Freya screamed shrilly against the hand pressed onto her mouth, as the second assassin cruelly pressed the heated blade against the side of her face, which carried the Ice Nation markings.

Freya felt bile rise in her throat as the smell of her own burning flesh rose into her nose.

~ ~ ~

Anya returned from the training pits barely an hour later. Her thoughts were not into training at the moment and she hoped that Freya would have made up her mind already about what she wanted.

She left the elevator on their floor to spot the guards which had been posted at the door to her room lying in their own blood. Anya quickly took out both her dagger and her sword, stalking towards the door with fast strides, not caring that her heavy footfalls would proclaim her arrival.

She wondered how an assassin could have reached this floor of the tower, she would have understood the lower levels, which were not this protected. The fact that they had reached this level, eluded to the assumption that the assassins had had help from other guards.

Anya ripped the door open forcefully and stopped in her tracks for a second. Not just one, but two assassins had found the way into her quarters. Freya was pinned to the bed by one of them, while the second had pressed a heated blade to the Ice princess’ face. The air was heavy with the smell of burning flesh and Anya felt rage bubble in her chest.

With a loud war cry tumbling from her lips, Anya charged at the pair of assassins.

Both of them had immediately let up from the Ice princess and now attacked the general instead.

Freya watched the fight with hot tears running down her cheeks, burning harshly against the burnt side of her face. She curled into a ball on the bed, as the assassin’s words resonated through her mind.

Anya ducked under the sword of the first assassin, barely avoiding the blade, while she rammed her own sword into the stomach of the second assassin.

She did not have the time to rip it out again, before the first assassin charged again, catching her left arm with a long dagger.

Anya hissed against the pain, feeling blood already running down her arm freely. But she ignored it momentarily, her whole focus on the fight. They would both die, if she did not defend her wife.

The fight continued only for a few more moments longer, Anya had to take another hit, a graze to her ribs, to be able to push her own dagger into the assassin’s throat.

The man fell to his knees, clutching at his throat, gurgling as he suffocated on his own blood.

Anya clutched at her am, trying to staunch the bleeding. The cut seemed to be deeper than she had felt and her sleeve was already saturated with red blood.

She stepped over to the bed, putting a hand on her wife’s shoulder shortly. The skin on the side of her face was bubbled with burn marks and Anya could only try to picture the pain, she must be feeling right now. The symbolism of the burns would surely hurt the girl more than the physical pain already did.

The girl did not seem to suffer from other injuries, so Anya knew that it could have been much worse. Her wife would survive this attack.

Freya looked up at the general, blue eyes swimming in tears. She noticed the blood on the general’s shirt, she had barely noticed that the woman had been injured as well.

“You bleed…” she said, voice shaking strongly, a pained grimace on her features.

“I will call for a healer” Anya said, squeezing the girl’s shoulder once, before she stood from the bed. She quickly alerted guards to what had transpired, telling them to relay the message to the commander as well.

Nyko hurried to their quarters only moments later, a basket with supplies clutched in his hands. Anya had remained at the entrance, sword once again in her hands in case more assassins were lurking around nearby.

Freya was visibly shaken by what had transpired, the girl was pale and shaking and she had not moved a single inch on the bed.

Anya pushed open the door to their quarters, needing to replace the heavy air. She directed Nyko to treat Freya first, she could wait a few moments longer.

Freya whimpered pitifully when the healer prodded at her burned skin.

Anya sat down at the edge of the bed, lightly putting a hand on the girl’s back, telling her mutely, that she was there as well, while the healer saw to her wife.

“The skin needs to be kept clean” Nyko proclaimed “It will take time to heal” he cautioned.

More guards entered their room a moment later, the commander and Gustus with them as well.

Anya could spot genuine worry on her previous second’s features.

The assassins visibly wore the marks of Ice Nation on their faces, Nia had obviously not even tried to hide the fact that she had ordered this attack.

Nyko finished with the Ice princess and helped the general out of her shirt, so that he could stitch the graze on her arm back together. “It is deep, but should heal nicely” he assessed calmly.

“The guards had already been murdered when I returned from training” Anya repeated part of her message to Lexa.

Freya barely reacted to the fact that the room was now filled with people. Guards began to remove the corpses of the dead assassins.

“You will move to a higher level” Lexa proclaimed in a sharp tone. She had underestimated Nia’s efforts to send a message to her. She had no intention to lose Anya to the Ice queen as well. “The ambassadors will hear of this immediately” she turned to Gustus, motioning him back outside.

Anya rolled her eyes when only a moment later a handmaid entered, telling her that the commander had ordered for a room to be prepared on the highest level of the tower. She offered a hand to Freya, helping her to stand from the bed, the girl’s legs seemed shaky and she leaned heavily on her.

“No further harm shall befall you” Anya tried to reassure the girl, as they moved through the hall.

Freya looked at the general with saddened eyes. Her mother obviously did not wish for her death just yet, she was unsure if that would change at a later point, but the assassins had clearly not had the order to kill her, or she would not have woken up again at all.

Her eyes fell on the general’s bloody sleeve, the woman had tried to protect her without any consideration for her own health. “Anya…” she addressed the general faintly, voice trailing off again. The Trikru woman had shown here more compassion in the last days than her own mother had in all her life, although Anya was right now only obligated to her by a political bonding.

“Yes?” Anya asked softly; they had reached their new quarters by now. The rooms were bigger than her old room and another big bed stood in the middle. She helped the princess into it slowly.

Freya clutched onto Anya’s wrist, as she began to move away from the bed. Her blue eyes were determined and her voice strong, as she proclaimed “I want this marriage to be real…”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,  
> I should probably point now for all now, that I am not going to update this story after a regular schedule. I will try to update at least once a week, it may be more often, but I cannot make any promises. I am still writing Skaifaya as well and I can't write more than a chapter a day at most.  
> Hope that you continue to enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it =)

Chapter 7

Anya looked over at Freya, genuine surprise flashing over her features, before she let a slight smile take over her expression. She nodded in acknowledgment to the girl’s previous words.

Freya answered the general’s smile faintly. “Can you stay?” she asked meekly, blue eyes hopeful and desperate and she let go of Anya’s wrist again.

The general inclined her head, sitting down on the edge of the bed again. She had planned to join the meeting with the ambassadors, speaking for her wife, but she knew that Lexa would handle the case just fine on her own. The commander had not asked her to be present after all.

Freya blushed slightly, she did not know for sure, why she had asked at all, but she had felt a new surge of panic when Anya had turned around to leave.

The realization, that she was now basically clan-less, felt like a blow to the heart and she did not wish to be alone right now. Anya was basically the only one she had left right now. Banished from her clan and clearly rejected from her mother, Freya knew how pathetic her thoughts were at the moment, but she could not help herself. She could still hear the assassin’s hissed words in her ears and the smell of her own scorched skin still lingered in her nose, making her sick again.

She fiddled the pendant around her neck again and was internally relieved that the other woman had just sat back down mutely, it did not seem as if she would force her to talk either.

Freya looked up at Anya in silence, letting her gaze travel over the other woman’s sharp profile. The woman emitted a certain kind of strength and calmness, that Freya immediately associated with a sense of safety and protection. The general had barely winced while Nyko had patched her back together and Freya had spotted several other scars on the woman’s exposed skin, together with a wide number of kill marks etched into the skin of her shoulders.

Freya internally wondered just how they were supposed to turn this bond into a real marriage, they knew basically nothing about the other.

“Have you been born in Polis?” Freya asked, trying to keep her tone light and banishing her own thoughts from her mind, focusing her attention on Anya instead.

“No” Anya shook her head in the negative, looking down at the princess with a slight frown. Maybe the girl was seeking for a distraction, it could also not harm to try to get to know each other a little better. “I was born in a small village near TonDC” she added.

“I do not know where TonDC is…” Freya admitted after a beat of silence. She knew nothing about the other clans, besides what her mother had deemed important.

“I can show it to you someday” Anya promised thoughtfully. It might do both of them some good, to spent some time away from the capitol. She feared that the princess would remain targeted by assassins and she had the foreboding that she would not survive the next attempt either. She was fairly certain that Lexa would let her leave the capitol, if she asked. “You should learn how to fight” she proclaimed, she had noticed how Freya had simply curled into herself during the attack, not trying to aid her. She did not know if the girl had simply been too shocked to do something else, or if she had simply not known how to fight.

Freya frowned “I know how to fight” she retorted almost hotly with a flash in her blue eyes, but she quitted down immediately again. She clasped her hand strongly around the pendant and her eyes clearly swam in tears again “My mother stopped my training years ago…” she admitted faintly and her voice had turned bitter “…she said I was too weak, to waste precious time with…”. Freya tried to swallow down her tears forcefully, unwilling to shed any more on her mother’s behalf.

Anya looked down at the girl with compassion, she would not pity the Ice princess, that would help neither of them. Nia’s reasoning also did not make any sense to her, stopping her training would certainly not make her strong, she would have doubled her effort in training and not stopped it completely. “You can take up training again, once your wounds are healed” she offered in a kind tone, training would certainly help her in increasing her strength as well. “If you wish, that is…” she added quickly, when she could not detect a positive reaction on Freya’s features.

Freya smiled slightly and she nodded in mute agreement, she had enjoyed the training before she had to compete against Ontari constantly. She groaned slightly, moving her face made the skin pull tight and flashes of pain ran through her mind. She had no idea what kind of ointment Nyko had applied on her burnt skin, but it seemed to cool it at least slightly.

“I am sorry…” she uttered lowly, after long moments of silence. Freya had been sure that assassins would come for her, but they had obviously not anticipated that Anya would return so quickly. They must have counted on the fact that the guards at the door, were the only protection she had.

“What for?” Anya asked a hint of a growl in her tone, brows creased slightly, while annoyance flashed over her features. She had already told Freya that she did not want her to keep apologizing senselessly.

“That you have gotten injured because of me” Freya explained in an almost guilty tone. She did not wish to think about what else might have happened if the general had not returned, when she had. The assassins had not had enough time to burn the complete side of her face and she was sure that some of her scar markings still remained intact.

Anya’s frown deepened, before it was replaced by genuine surprise, the girl had truly caught her off guard with her words, Freya seemed to think that what had happened was somehow her fault. “I have gotten worse before” she retorted, voice a little gruff. It went without saying that as her wife, the Ice princess was now under her personal protection.

“My brother…” Freya began lowly after a moment of silence, but let her words trail off into silence without saying what she had wanted.

“What about him?” Anya questioned in a neutral tone. The few times that she had seen prince Roan of Azgeda, she had not gotten a good impression of the man.

“Could I see him sometime?” Freya voiced her request meekly, but with honest hope shining in her blue eyes. Her whole posture clearly said that she was expecting her request to be rejected.

Anya regarded the girl in silence for a moment, it was obvious that Freya must be having a deep connection to her brother or she would not have bothered to ask at all. “I shall speak with Lexa about it” she answered after another moment of contemplation. Roan was still prohibited from roaming through the tower and Polis at his will and the level which housed the political prisoners in the tower, was also not open for visitors just like that.

“Thank you” Freya breathed with the hint of a smile ghosting around her lips for a moment and a little flash of relieve passed through her blue eyes. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, hovering like that for a moment, uncertainty flashing through her blue eyes, before she followed her instincts and scooted closer to Anya, gently placing her head on one of the general’s thighs. She had moved so slowly, that the general could have stopped her or removed her at any moment. “Is this okay?” she asked faintly, she did not look up at Anya, but turned onto her side slightly, so that she could comfortably lie her uninjured cheek onto Anya’s thigh and get her weight off of her back as well. Freya did not know exactly why, but even the little contact felt immensely soothing immediately and she felt the knot in her stomach easing slightly.

“Certainly” Anya agreed a little stiffly with a curt nod, surprised by the girl’s sudden urge to be physically close to her now. If Freya was seeking a little comfort, she would certainly not deny her. Cautiously and with slow movements, she began to open the braids from her long blonde hair for her, they had gotten untidy after a night of sleep and her scuffle with the assassins anyway. She was unsure of what to do exactly and it at least gave her hands a task and something to keep her mind focused on.

Freya tensed minutely at the touch, but felt herself relaxing again only moments later, almost against her will. The general’s fingers were gentle in her hair, as she removed the braids slowly and combed her hair through with her fingers, letting the tips of her fingers scratch over her scalp slightly.

Anya noticed how the girl began to relax shortly after a few moments of her ministrations and after she had taken out all the braids and smoothed out Freya’s hairs, she let her fingers continue to glide through the strands soothingly.

The fact that Freya was the one to have deepened their interaction by initiating the contact in the first place, placing herself freely in such a submissive and vulnerable position, spoke of such a high degree of trust, which Anya knew she could not have possibly earned yet. It puzzled her slightly that the girl seemed willing to trust her in such a fashion at all.

She internally mused if getting closer to the girl might be much easier than she had originally anticipated. The girl still appeared shy and meek and even though she had clearly been shell-shocked directly after the assassin’s attack, she now appeared completely calm and even close to falling asleep. Although Anya was well aware that they already had slept next to each other during the previous night, she had been the one to fall asleep first, she had noticed that the girl had remained stiff and clearly afraid next to her, almost falling off of the mattress in her desperate attempt to remain as far away as possible. So, letting her guard down like this was certainly a new level of trust, it almost literally spelled out that the girl was willingly entrusting her life to her protection now.

Anya knew that they would have more than enough time to talk later, so she mutely watched on, how Freya’s breathings evened out and the girl fell asleep only moments later, her head still pillowed by her thigh. Intent on letting Freya catch some rest, Anya remained sitting in this position perfectly still, letting her thoughts wander freely now.

The girl looked almost peaceful while she slept. She could fathom that the addition of this scar would not be to her liking later, but there was no way to remove it safely either.

It appeared to Anya as if she had interrupted the assassins’ work. Some parts of the original Ice Nation markings still remained intact above Freya’s cheekbone, climbing up onto her forehead.

Anya had already seen how clan markings were removed from the skin of a banished traitor. Lexa had taken up banishing traitors if their crimes allowed it, instead of executing everyone, regardless of their sins. So, she knew, just how cruel of a punishment the banishment from a clan and the removal of the visible marks could be. She fleetingly wondered if offering her wife an official place within Trikru and not just because of their bond would be able to ease some of Freya's suffering, but she pushed the thought from her mind again. The Ice princess had no reason to wish to be integrated into her own clan yet and Anya could not speak on the behalf of Trikru anyway, she would need to discuss the future possibility with Lexa first.

~ ~ ~

When she heard footfalls coming from the hall outside of their new quarters, Anya tensed slightly. Lost in her thoughts, she had not paid any mind to the time passing. A quick look down showed her, that Freya was still sleeping peacefully in the same position, face relaxed in her slumber. She had not consciously felt it, when one of the girl’s hands had sneaked onto her thigh as well, clutching at the material of her pants, as if she was anchoring herself in the presence.

She did not expect that assassins would manage to reach the highest level of the tower, she was certain that Lexa would have even increased the security measures for now. It was not out of the scope of possibility, that Nia would not have just sent assassins behind her daughter, but was targeting the commander in addition. It was also reasonable to expect more than just a mere pair of assassins, but that rather more were still lurking within the streets of the capitol.

A soft knock resonated through the room a moment later and the door was pushed open, before Anya could call out. She relaxed slightly, an assassin would never known on a door beforehand.

It was in fact Lexa herself, who strode into the room. The commander stopped in her tracks with a slight frown on her features, when she spotted her former mentor sitting on the bed, with the Ice princess clearly asleep in such an intimate position. She raised a brow at the older woman in silence, coming to a stop in front of the bed, hands clasped behind her back and a hint of amusement dancing in her green eyes.

Anya’s lips thinned slightly and she narrowed her eyes, daring the commander to comment on their position. Her brown eyes minutely flitted down to Freya’s face, still relaxed in slumber and her own fingers still softly carded through her long blonde hair.

Lexa smirked slightly, before her expression turned sober again. The attack on the Ice princess was not enough yet to truly allow her to take steps to remove Nia from her throne, she could cut down their trade slightly, but there was not much more she could do. She knew that Nia could easily claim to have had no knowledge of the assassins’ doing, claiming that they had acted on their own on the seemingly defecting princess. She told Anya as such and while her tone was calm, there was anger boiling in her veins. She was just waiting for Nia to give her even a little reason to march her armies north and remove the vile woman from her throne.

Lexa's green eyes trailed over the Ice princess' sleeping form, she looked even frailer in this position. Her thin fingers looked almost as white as the snow into which she had been born, contrasting starkly against Anya's dark pants. The burn showed clearly even through the ointment which had been applied to it and Lexa knew that it would certainly take some time to heal. She wondered how Nia was capable of discarding her own flesh and blood like this. She had expected to feel nothing more than boiling hatred for the girl, sharing her mother’s eyes, but even Lexa had to acknowledge that Freya was not guilty of her mother’s sins.

Anya nodded with a slight sigh, she had not expected anything different. They both were aware just how slippery Nia was. After Costia's murder, the queen had behaved herself, only resorting to little jabs against Lexa's rule and she would not be foolish enough to rile the united force of the clans against her. Both of them knew very well that Nia could be patient and would be waiting for the clans to lose faith in Lexa's rule before the queen made her next move. The coalition was anything but stable and every small misjudgement on Lexa’s part could easily cost her dearly.

“Has she suffered more injuries from the attack?” Lexa asked, expression calm and tone low, still standing in front of the bed. Assassination attempts were nothing out of the ordinary and they had gotten more regular after she had begun to forge the coalition, but usually she was the target as the commander.

Anya shook her head in the negative, her fingers stilled in the princess’ blonde hair momentarily. “The fact that she was basically banished from her clan will hurt far worse, than the physical burns ever could” the general said lowly, compassion clear on her face. The thought of including Freya into Trikru returned to her mind unbidden again. She could not deny that it had a certain appeal to imagine a tattoo similar to her own adoring the girl’s arm, signifying that they now belonged to each other.

Lexa inclined her head in mute acknowledgment. She had personally banished more than a hand of people from Trikru, destroying their markings in the process. She could still remember how quite a number of those to be banished, had chosen their own death instead. The people took pride in their clans and the visible signs signifying to which clan they belonged, stripping them of the marks, was like destroying their home and a significant part of themselves as well. They had survived after the end of the old world because the clans had formed, those who had preferred to stay on their own, did not have an actual chance at survival. The clans claimed the resources needed for survival, so being without a clan almost automatically meant death. Lexa knew that some clan-less people had searched refugee in the desert, but survival was a constant struggle there.

Freya would certainly not have an easy standing in Polis. The girl was visibly frightened and physically weak. Although her Ice Nation marks might have mostly been erased from her skin, her origin was still well known and although Azgeda was part of the coalition now, the people from the north were still the most hated among Trikru and the other clans.

It appeared to Lexa as if Anya had begun to feel at least a little towards the princess. She still remembered how harsh of a mentor the general had been, she had never been one to cuddle her and Lexa had earned every little praise the hard way. Seeing the woman now almost casually caressing the princess' hair like this, was a weird sight to say the least.

“I know that I cannot speak on her behalf...” Anya begun, voice uncharacteristically hesitant “...but I think, we should consider to include her officially into Trikru in the future". The idea just could not be pushed from her mind completely.

Lexa’s brows furrowed, while her jaw tightened. Her initial automatic response would have been a quick and decisive denial, but the way Anya had worded her request, made her pause. The general had obviously already thought about this beforehand. “You plan this to become a real union one day" she assessed, not voicing a question but rather stating her observation. Lexa had expected for Anya to seek for a possibility to bring some lasting distance between herself and the princess, the general had not been enthusiastic about the union at all, but Gustus had been outright against it, only his loyalty to her, had the man made to agree with it in the first place. It seemed that Anya was willing to regard the princess on her own right, Lexa would need to try that as well in the future.

Anya just subtly inclined her head and a sigh underlined her tone “We agree on that at least...” she said, glancing down minutely “...she asked to be allowed to see her brother”.

Lexa’s furrow deepened, slightly confused by Anya's quick change of topic. It seemed the older woman was not expecting an immediate answer to her previous request. Roan was still tightly restricted in his access outside of his small room and Lexa was not sure how she felt about changing this just yet. “I shall think about it" she cautiously retorted, tone controlled. It seemed Anya was not finished with her surprises just yet.

“I want to leave the capitol with her for a few days" Anya proclaimed, aware that Lexa had to allow her a leave before she could just abandon her duty.

“Why?” Lexa asked with a frown. She did not like the idea of her former mentor leaving her post just like that.

“Freya is convinced that there are more assassins waiting for her" Anya reasoned “and I think a change of scenery for a few days would be beneficial for both of us". She knew that getting to know the girl would be easier on a journey, where they were forced to spend the whole day with each other.

Lexa sighed, but inclined her head in agreement. “For how long?” she questioned, her voice hinted at her displeasure of letting the general leave the protection of the tower.

“Just a few days" Anya reassured quickly. It surprised her slightly how hesitant the commander appeared to let her leave. “Freya should see more of the Trikru lands than the capitol” she added “and I have not been to TonDC for too long”.

“A few others will accompany you" Lexa decided quickly and her tone left no room for negotiation on this requirement. If assassins were to follow the pair out of Polis, Lexa feared that she would lose the general to them.

Anya nodded curtly “We will leave at first light" she proclaimed strongly.

Lexa sighed lightly, but nodded “I will arrange some preparations” she offered and turned on her heel without waiting for an answer.

Anya watched her previous second leave in silence, before she looked down again. She would return to her place at Lexa’s side, but Freya deserved a fair chance for this bonding to develop as well.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Freya began to wake later, she tensed immediately. A burning pain radiating from her cheek through her whole face, was the first sensation that truly registered within her huddled mind. It took her a moment longer until the memories of the assassins’ attack flashed through her mind vividly, quickening her breath immediately.

She did not know how much time had passed since the attack and it took her even longer to realize that she was in fact not lying on a pillow. She suddenly was acutely aware of the general’s thigh beneath her other cheek and how her own fingers had entangled themselves into the other woman’s trousers. Freya immediately let go of her, trying to back of quickly, a hasty apology already on the tip of her tongue as well, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her movement immediately. As she glanced up, breath quickening a little more, she was surprised to find the general’s brown eyes warm and almost kind, as the older woman gazed down at her.

Anya's expression was calm, as she pushed the princess lightly to remain in her previous position. A few hours had passed already since Lexa had left their chambers and she had patiently let the girl rest. “It is alright" she reassured the princess in an even tone “You are safe now".

Freya looked up at the general, surprise and a little flash of guilt passing over her features quickly. She could see that it was slowly beginning to get dark and she had not expected for the other woman to remain in this position for her sake for hours, she was weirdly touched by the gesture though and she felt a little better.

“We will be leaving Polis tomorrow” Anya informed her wife in a casual tone. She knew that Lexa would have prepared everything they needed by first light tomorrow.

Freya furrowed her brow in confusion, she assumed that Anya was sent somewhere on the commander’s orders, but she had not been aware of the fact that she would now accompany the general on her travels. She was not against the concept of travelling in itself, but she highly doubted that Nyko would agree to her riding for a prolonged time just yet. “Where do you need to go?” she asked hesitantly after a moment, not entirely convinced that she would be welcomed to question the general like this.

“You expressed a wish to see TonDC, did you not?” Anya retorted, tone light and bordering on a tease and amusement danced through her brown eyes.

Freya's frown only deepened for a second, gazing up at the other woman for a long moment in silence, trying to assess if the general was speaking true. Her mouth opened in a little surprised “oh" at the realization that the woman seemed honest. Her father and oldest brother had rarely allowed her to accompany them to other villages and she had never even left the land of Ice Nation prior to coming to the capitol, her mother had not allowed her outside of their fortress later at all.

A little meek smile played around the corners of her mouth after another moment of silent contemplation. She was honestly looking forward to seeing some of the land of Trikru, she highly doubted that her mother’s venomous words would hold any truth.

“We will travel for a few days" Anya explained after another moment, she did not need the girl to express her gratefulness now, it was plainly to see on her features. She hoped that the princess would grow more comfortable in her presence with time, it still unnerved her that the girl obviously was afraid to speak her mind, but Anya knew that Freya would need to realize herself that she was not required to keep silent any longer. No repeated reassurances would convince the girl on her part and Anya resigned herself to wait and grant the girl a little more patience. It was obvious that Freya had already begun to develop at least a little trust within her and Anya hoped it would increase quickly, she had no intention of giving the princess any valid reason to fear her after all.

“Will we travel alone?” Freya asked lowly after a short pause, worry visibly flitted over her features.

Anya bit her tongue lightly, reigning in the scathing remark burning on the tip of her tongue forcefully. She knew that she should not be taking insult from the girl’s words, the girl had surely not meant to question her strength as a warrior. She mentally planned to show off her skills in the fighting pits in TonDC to the princess, once they had reached their destination; Indra would surely be willing to fight her in combat. She was not arrogant enough to assume that she would be able to protect herself and Freya from any assassins who might follow them out of Polis, outnumbered and taken by surprise, Anya knew that even she would not be invincible. “Lexa arranges for others to accompany us" she told Freya calmly.

Freya winced slightly “I did not intend to cause any inconvenience...” she retorted, biting at her lower lip.

Anya shook her head, silencing the princess' protests. “It has been too long that I have been there anyway" she reasoned offhandedly.

Freya nodded meekly in mute agreement, sitting up slowly and the general did not hold her down this time. Internally she had to realize that she already missed the slight contact. She watched guiltily as the general immediately rolled her shoulders, her back cracking rather loudly, the position had obviously not been really comfortable for the woman. “You should have woken me...” Freya said, trying to force her tone to be stronger than she felt, internally she was afraid of how the older woman would react to her words which were bordering on a criticism.

Anya was a little surprised that the princess would dare to say something like this to her at all, but she hoped that the girl would feel comfortable enough to criticise her openly at a later time; she did not wish to be married to a puppet without an actual opinion of their own. She still needed to be careful with her own words, if she did not wish to scare the princess even more. “You clearly needed the rest” she retorted easily “and I have spent longer intervals of time in much more uncomfortable positions".

Freya pursed her lips slightly, but nodded again mutely. The general’s reasoning was probably not invalid at all, warriors often had to remain hidden in weird positions or slept outside without the comfort of a bed. It just surprised her that Anya was willing to be uncomfortable simply for her sake.

Anya stood from the bed, shaking out her legs quickly. “I will have dinner brought up to us” she turned around to Freya minutely before she strode over to the door, asking one of the guards to relay her request to the kitchens. She usually preferred to go down to the kitchen herself, often practising in the evening as well and taking something to eat from the markets in Polis.

She left the doors open, when she spotted Nyko hasting through the corridor, a scowl etched deeply into his features. “She is not fit to travel” the healer immediately told her, displeasure rolling off of him in waves “Her wounds have barely closed, riding now, could reopen them completely.”

Freya looked between the healer and the general with slightly widened eyes, keeping silent for now. She would prefer to leave the capitol with Anya, but she knew that it would also endanger the general even more. The next assassins to come close to her would surely not hesitate to take out the Trikru woman as well.

Anya rolled her eyes at the healer, crossing her arms over her chest “We leave at first light” she proclaimed firmly, brown eyes hard and unyielding.

Nyko huffed in frustration, but he knew well enough that he would not be able to reason with the stubborn woman if she had chosen something. “I will travel with you” he decided, that way he would be able to at least take care of the princesses’ wounds immediately.

Anya nodded in acknowledgement, she highly doubted that Lexa would object to the healer’s condition. “Was there anything else you wanted?” she drawled almost lazily.

“In fact, there is” Nyko seethed, eyes flashing angrily “If you insist on this senseless journey now, she should at least take a healing bath now, her skin will have time to dry out over night again this way”.

Freya frowned slightly, surprised at the way the healer was speaking to the general. She did not know much about the hierarchy within Trikru, but a healer Ice Nation was never of a higher rank than a general and a healer would mind his place and tongue, unless he wished to lose it for his insolence. She fiddled with the pendant around her neck in growing agitation, the general seemed annoyed by the exchange as well. Freya had learned long ago that her mother used to lash out at her the worse against her, when her mood was particular strained. She had been her mother’s anger outlet for long enough to fear how the general might react, once the healer left again. She would not deny that the prospect of a bath was appealing, she had already looked at the bathing tube in the previous room longingly, wondering if she would be allowed such luxury.

To Freya’s great surprise, the general only nodded in mute agreement immediately, her stance relaxing as well subtly. She waited in silence as Nyko told the older woman that he would send up some specific herbs for the bath. Her own nervousness mounted tenfold when the general said that she would be able to apply the ointment to her back and take care of the bandages as well. Freya would have preferred for the healer to do that later instead of Anya, although she guessed that her thoughts were not reasonable. She was married to the general now, so she guessed she should try to get used to the idea of having to be naked and vulnerable in her presence.

Nyko scrutinized the general with a piercing gaze for a moment, before he nodded, agreeing to leave everything behind which Anya would need to take care of Freya. The princesses’ wounds were mostly healed and he was aware that the general would be able to treat them efficiently enough. He would still accompany the group leaving to TonDC, hoping to be able to finally see his son again.

Freya kept her eyes hefted to the floor as a pair of handmaidens brought trays with dinner for them into the room, just as the healer had turned to leave them again.

Anya quickly told them to arrange water for a bath and they filed out of the room again with the promise to return shortly later. She had watched the girl’s antics from the corner of her eyes, Freya appeared much tenser again and her grey eyes clearly showed that she was afraid now. She sighed under her breath, choosing to ignore the girl’s reaction for now, as she mutely motioned towards the table. When Freya remained motionless, rooted to the spot for a moment, Anya bit back another sigh and simply sat down first at the table, waiting for the princess to join her at the table.

Freya waited for another moment, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her frayed nerves. The general did not appear that annoyed anymore, but she found it hard to judge the other woman’s mood clearly and she knew well that perceptions could lie. Her stomach gave a little growl at the sight of all the delicious food.

Hesitantly, she stepped closer to the table. Freya contemplated minutely on which chair to choose. She swallowed thickly, as she sank down on the one closer to the general.

Anya’s lips pulled into the hint of a smile, but she did not make a further comment, simply pushing one of the plates mutely in the girl’s direction.

“How much of the lands of Ice Nation have you travelled so far?” Anya broke the silence between them long moments later, having mostly finished with her own dinner already.

Freya hesitated for a moment, swallowing down her mouth of food quickly “Not much” she answered calmly. She was lost in her thoughts for a moment, remembering the few times she had been allowed to accompany her father and older brother. Her expression turned a little melancholic, lost in old and better memories, while she added “I was around ten summers old the last time that I had been allowed to join my father in his travels. We travelled to villages even north to our fortress. Places where the ice always remains thick the whole year and it snows for most of the year as well.”

Anya nodded along slightly. She herself had not been too deep in these lands yet. There had always been war between Trikru and Azgeda and the borders were constantly fiercely fought over.

When Freya noticed that Anya seemed genuinely interested in her past, she readily elaborated, but carefully mostly kept on telling the general little escapades of her earlier childhood, al of those she remembered fondly.

She listened intently, hearing easily between the lines that Freya had shared a much closer relationship to her father and older brother. The girl rarely mentioned her mother and whenever she did, a shadow passed over her features visibly. It had been obvious that Nia had ordered Freya to try to assassinate the commander and Anya was fairly certain that she had also been the one to inflict the other scars onto her daughter’s body.

They were interrupted by the handmaidens bringing in the hot water for the bath.

Freya paled a little at the sight immediately. She had not eaten much yet, barely picking at the food and her stomach was clenched tightly in knots of anticipation, she was sure she would just make herself sick if she forced more food down her throat.

“The bath is ready” a young handmaid proclaimed politely, only a short moment later and Anya dismissed them again immediately, looking over at the princess expectantly.

“Do you require assistance in removing the bandage?” Anya asked in a calm tone, when Freya remained motionless on her chair moments later, even after the handmaidens had all already left.

Freya looked at the general with her blue eyes slightly widened and she swallowed thickly, before she lightly inclined her head, letting her gaze drop to her lap immediately, eyes lowered in shame to need this kind of assistance at all.

Anya pursed her lips in silence at the girl’s antics, simply standing up and waiting for the girl to follow her example. She could understand to a certain extent why it was difficult for the princess to on the hand ask for help and on the other accept help at all. But Freya had readily sought comfort from her only hours ago and Anya was annoyed that what she had considered as great progress, seemed already undone now. She had seen the girl naked during the last night already, so in her opinion there was no reason to be hesitant about disrobing in front of her now. She surely had no intention of assaulting the girl now.

It took Freya a moment longer to gather her nerves and join the general in the bathroom. She was grateful that the older woman had only as it appeared patiently waited for her and the woman’s expression was calm and almost austere. With shaking fingers, Freya gasped onto the neckline of the dress, hissing lightly under her breath at the discomfort rising her arms like that caused.

Anya rolled her eyes at the girl’s apparent stubbornness. She let her steps sound loudly against the concrete floor of the bathroom, as she stepped closer to the princess and she proclaimed her intention to help her out loud as well, not wanting to startle the girl even more. “Let me” she offered, outstretched hands hovering between them for a moment, until Freya’s blue eyes connected with hers.

Resignation seemed to flash through the princesses’ blue eyes, as she let go of the fabric of the dress and simply slowly raised her arms above her head, making it easier for the general to take it off of her body.

Anya kept her movements carefully slow and took care that the fabric of the dress would not touch the girl’s burnt cheek in any form. She kept her gaze focused on the girl’s face as well, not allowing her eyes to trail down her body at all. “You do not have to hide your body from me” she tried to reassure the princess, her eyes had been hefted at her feet again and her form shook visibly.

Freya's gaze snapped up at the general in surprise instantly, blue eyes widened slightly, she forcefully tried to relax her arms; she had previously clenched them in front of her body, trying to hide her private parts and cover as much skin as possible, ignoring the flare of pain the movement caused. Her gaze connected with Anya’s for long silent moments, searching the general’s expression intently for some hidden agenda. She let her hands fall down at her sides again, but she could not stop them from trembling. She did not necessarily expect the general to lash out at her now, but her mother had usually forced her to stand naked and exposed in front of her as well.

Her throat felt clogged with a lump, she forcefully swallowed passed it and her voice quivered noticeably, as she admitted “I know...” she paused again, choosing to be bluntly honest with the woman. They were married now after all and did not seem as if Anya would care to hear lies or half truth come out of her mouth, “...or hope that you will not start to hurt me as well" she could feel a sheen of tears misting over her eyes and her trembling increased. Her voice was probably nearly too low for the general to catch her next admission “my mother used to force me to stand naked in front of her as well, before her lessons or punishments began...” she closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the reaction her words elicited in the general’s brown eyes.

Anya’s lips thinned visibly, she had already guessed that the girl’s scars had been caused by Nia, but she found it had to understand what could have caused the Ice queen to torture her own daughter like this. She could not undo what the princess had had to suffer through in the past, she could only try now to offer her the prospect of a better life. “You do not have to fear that I would lash out at you in anger physically" she reassured the princess in a strong tone. She had never even resorted to physical punishments with Lexa and she surely would not raise her hand against her wife either.

She waited for a moment until she stepped closer to Freya and Anya cautiously extended her hands to rest lightly on the bandage around the girl’s body “You do not have to fear a repeat of such a horrendous treatment ever again” she promised, brown eyes compassionate.

Freya startled slightly at the touch and her trembling only increased, until she exhaled forcefully and began to relax again long moments later. The general’s hands remained on her sides, not exerting any kind of pressure, simply resting there almost gently. She nodded her head, not trusting her own voice at the moment to formulate an actual answer and she waited motionless until Anya began to remove the bandage from her body.

Anya let the bandage fall to the floor carelessly and slowly turned the girl around with gentle hands on her shoulder. Bruises bloomed around the girl’s throat, the assassins must have throttled the girl before she arrived and the scarred skin on her back had teared open visibly in a few places, but she knew that it could have been much worse.

She carefully helped the girl into the bath, distributing herbs into the water and leaving her alone to soak in peace for a few moments, wanting to gather herself on her own as well. Anya doubted again that she was truly cut out for this marriage, the princess surely deserved someone to treasure her for herself and she was not sure that she would be able to do so.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Freya began to relax engulfed in the warm water of the bath after a few moments despite her chaotic thoughts.

She cautiously brought the tips of her fingers towards the burnt part of her cheek, feeling around it gingerly. Bitter tears clouded her gaze, as she felt just how much of her floral markings must have been destroyed. Ever since having them etched into her skin, Freya had let her fingers follow the floral pattern when she needed to silence her thoughts.

She let her fingers glide down her cheek, a low sob bubbling from her lips, as her fingers stopped on the pendant around her neck, fiddling with the gemstone instead.

Freya tried to stop her thoughts from circling around Ice Nation and ultimately her own mother. She did not belong there any longer now. She tightened her hand around the pendant, resigning herself to the fact that she now solely belonged at the general’s side. The Trikru woman had not exactly been gentle but definitely considerate and kind while she had helped her getting ready for the bath.

Freya breathed in the calming scent of the herbs floating in the water. She wondered how the lands of Trikru looked like and a small part of her actually looked forward to travelling together with the general. The only thing Freya dearly hoped was that Anya would not loose her life because of her. She was surprised slightly that the commander had obviously agreed to assign even more warriors to her safety, although she was fairly certain that most of them would actually be there to support and protect the general and not herself.

Freya wondered how her life would really turn out now. She was still half convinced that her mother’s assassins would find their way to her at one point. She highly doubted that the general and the commander’s warriors could protect her all the time. She had no idea if the general would expect her to do some sort of job to pay her back, Freya was certain that the whole wardrobe the general had ordered on her behalf would be costly and she had seen that the general had paid much already for the necklace with the pendant.

A frown settled on Freya’s features as she wondered just what kind of useful skills, she could offer to earn her keeping and the answer was sadly that she doubted that she could contribute much. She was fairly certain that she could learn the tasks of a handmaid or help in the kitchens, if someone showed her what to do, but she somehow doubted that it would be fitting for her new position as the general’s wife to do such work.

Freya knew that she could not afford to be picky in her situation, she would do whatever the general wished her to do. She just hoped that the woman did not expect her to do nothing and simply wait for her all day.

Freya barely registered how the herbs which had been added to the water slowed her thoughts with every passing minute, her body began to feel a comfortable kind of heavy and she was in the process of falling asleep, when the door to the bathroom creaked open again. Startled, Freya blinked at the sound and her heart rate immediately picked up, she turned her neck quickly, hissing at the sudden motion, but she breathed a little slower when she realized that it had only been Anya who joined her in the room. The general had obviously already changed into her sleeping attire and her hair hung loosely around her face, while the skin had been scrubbed clean for the night.

Anya frowned slightly when she noticed the scared reaction of the girl, it seemed as if the princess had at least relaxed enough to nearly fall asleep in the water. She had expected her to get out of the water sooner, she was certain that it would have cooled too much already to be comfortable still.

Freya had grasped onto the ledge of the bathing tube to turn and her brows furrowed when she inspected her fingers, the skin had turned pruned and she just now realized that the water was indeed not warm any longer and her body already felt filled with a sense of frostiness again.

“You should get out” Anya addressed the girl in a carefully calm tone, noting that the girl’s teeth seemed to begin to chatter slightly.

Freya nodded immediately “I had not realized the time passing so quickly” she admitted truthfully. She was internally grateful when the general offered a hand to her to help her from the bathing tube, her legs felt oddly numb and weak at the moment.

Anya noted at once how exhausted the princess looked and her legs appeared a little weak to uphold her weight as well. She had actually planned to just tell the girl to get out of the bath and wait for her in the main room, giving her privacy to dry off, but seeing her now, Anya changed her mind and without proclaiming her intent, quickly helped the girl towel down.

Freya was a little surprised at the general’s obvious insistence to help her, but she did not make a comment, just letting the other woman handle her as her mind still felt closer to sleep than alertness.

Her steps were a little slow when Anya guided her back into the main part of their new rooms and Freya absentmindedly wondered about their sleeping arrangement during the upcoming journey which also prompted her to wonder if she would be given a horse for herself.

Anya guided the girl in front of the fire place in which a small fire was burning, warming the air around it quickly, the girl’s skin was feeling uncomfortably cold and she hoped to warm her up a little quicker that way. She had already placed the ointment and fresh bandages on the table to tend to the girl’s wounds and Anya frowned slightly when she noticed just how deep the scars seemed to have teared open on Freya’s back again.  

Her brown eyes travelled over the girl’s body slowly, while Freya stood a little rigid in front of the fire, it was obvious that the herbs had efficiently relaxed the girl though.

Carefully Anya warmed a little of the ointment between her palms, before placed one hand on the back of the girl’s neck, thinking that starting from the top, where the skin looked better already, would probably be less careful to the princess.

Freya shivered a little when she felt the general’s finger tips lightly touch her neck. The other woman’s fingers definitely felt different on her skin compared to those of the healer. Although Freya was acutely aware of the fact that she was standing bare in front of Anya, she somehow did not mind it so much right now.

Anya was thorough in applying the ointment and she noticed when the princess began to tense under her touch again when she reached the part of the scars which had reopened a few hours ago. She tried to gentle her touch even further, but the ointment needed to be applied if they did not wish for the wounds to get infected again.

Freya winced when Anya directly touched an opened scar, twisting away from her fingers on instinct only. She felt the general’s other hand coming to rest on her hip, pulling her back slightly and urging her to stay in place as well. She bit her lip strongly and felt Anya’s hand on her hip tighten slightly and she tried to focus her mind on this touch instead.

Freya would have assumed that feeling the other woman’s hand rest on her bare skin like that would feel alien and threatening and although it certainly felt weird to be touched like this, it somehow felt a good kind of weird.

She felt the loss of Anya’s warm palm keenly, when the general stepped back quickly, retrieving the bandages.

Freya stood perfectly still when Anya wound the bandages around her upper body and she felt her breath hitch on instinct when one of the general’s hands lightly grazed over one of her breasts, although she doubted that the touch had been done on purpose.

Anya frowned slightly behind the princess, invisible to the girl. An apology burnt on her tongue for a moment, before she shooed it from her mind forcefully. She had not come into contact with the girl’s chest like this on purpose, but Anya knew that her touches would he anything but innocent when she tried to coax the girl into her bed. She had no intention to attempt so at the moment though, with their impending journey, it would not matter at which point they consummated the bond, as long as it had been consummated when they returned to the tower.

She let one hand lightly rest on the girl’s back, just below where the bandage ended, feeling her bare skin emitting a comforting warmth again.

Freya felt as if the general’s hand was simultaneously scalding and freezing her skin, she could not explain to herself why the simple touch felt like something magnificent.

“Thank you" she proclaimed softly, acknowledging the general’s effort in taking care of her, glancing back over her shoulder slightly.

Anya nodded curtly, before she let her hand finally fall back to her side and offered a nightgown to the princess. She had considered letting the girl sleep bare again beside her, possibly even stripping out of her own nightgown as well, but the slight fear that the girl might have caught a cold by being too long in the cool water, had changed Anya’s mind.

Freya smiled gratefully as she slowly raised her arms over her head, letting the general help her again in dressing.

“You should rest” Anya addressed the girl again, they would leave at first light at the next morning and she knew that they would have to set a fast pace if they wished to reach TonDC in only one day. It would be much saver if they just stopped in TonDC. The safety measures on the road could never be as strong as those in a settlement.

Freya inclined her head with the hint of a frown on her features, wondering internally what the general was planning to do.

Anya smirked lightly, picking up on the girl’s most likely trail of thought “I shall join you soon” she said with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Freya nodded again, as a blush dusted over her cheeks at how easily the older woman had obviously guessed at her thoughts. She stepped over to the bed mutely, lying down on one side under the furs and waiting for the general to return; the woman had slipped into the bathroom only a second later.

She had already been in the process of slipping into oblivion, when Anya’s quiet steps echoing through the room as the general extinguished some candles pulled her back into consciousness. Freya watched the general move through the room in the dim light, soon only making out the outlines of her body, until she felt the big mattress dip lightly under the added weight of the older woman. Freya waited for the general to move closer to her, but when the other woman remained on the far end of the bed, she frowned over at her slightly, feeling a small flash of disappointment course through her mind.

Freya turned onto her side, her back facing to the general with a sigh under her breath, pulling the fur tighter around her body with one hand and grasping onto the pendant with the other.

From the corners of her eyes, Anya noticed the princess facing away from her almost immediately. She had mused about offering the girl to move closer, Freya had taken comfort in their brief contact hours ago, but with a light huff, she turned away from her as well, drifting off into sleep only short moments later.

~ ~ ~

Freya woke in the middle of the night with a sharp gasp to the sensation of hot pain shooting outwards from the burnt skin on her cheeks. She must have moved over to the general in her sleep and her cheek had been pressed against the other woman’s arm. She bit her lips in an attempt to calm her slightly ragged breathing, hoping not to wake the general up. The ointment from the healer seemed to have lost all numbing effects by now and Freya could not remember if the actual markings had smarted like this as well.

She turned back onto her back, trying to force herself back to sleep, but she kept on gravitating towards the general, as soon as she really began to doze off, getting her burnt skin into physical contact again and making her wince.

Anya woke with a slight frown, wondering what had woken her up in the first place. It was still way too intensely dark outside for first light to be approaching just yet. It took her long moments with her mind still a little slow from sleep to figure out that Freya had woken her up. It took her another moment to understand why the princess seemed to be awake as well.

Freya gasped audibly in surprise, when the general’s hands suddenly shot out and in one quick movement, Anya had sort of flipped their position on the bed. Although she doubted that Anya would see it in the dim light, she shot the other woman a grateful shy smile for her efforts. She tensed for a second, when Anya pulled her against her body, but she relaxed again as quickly, engulfed and sheltered by her warmth, slipping back into sleep only moments later.

An amused smirk tugged at Anya’s lips, as she felt Freya’s hands lightly resting on her upper body. She felt slightly reassured that the girl was feeling at least some sort of pull towards her, even if Freya was just seeking the comfort of the physical contact to another human being. She was fairly certain that Gustus would not have considered sharing a room with the princess, probably only seeing her in person for the consummation of the bond. She was hopeful in the regard that they would be able to get closer to each other with time.

~ ~ ~

They were both woken up some time later by handmaid knocking on their door, bringing in the light breakfast the general had requested on the previous day. Freya had still been sleeping in the general’s arms and she stretched herself lightly, before she backed off from the other woman slightly.

Anya immediately slipped from the furs, calling the handmaid inside and beginning to dress as well.

The handmaid entered with a mute node, placing the tray with breakfast on a table, before the young woman quickly tented to the fire, coaxing it back to life and lighting a few candles as well, before she left again.

“You need to eat” Anya addressed the princess in a calm tone “We will be travelling through the whole day” she added after a short moment.

Freya nodded, feeling a hint of giddy anticipation settle into her mind at the prospect of leaving the tower and seeing more of the Trikru lands. She stood from the bed as well, shivering lightly, when her bare feet touched the cold stone floor.

Anya stopped her minutely when she wanted to change her clothes. Freya waited, body a little tense, while the general took of the bandage off her body, inspecting the parts of the scars which had reopened carefully. Anya pressed down on one patch of skin gingerly, thinking that it appeared a little swollen to her untrained eyes.

Freya groaned audibly at the touch, biting her lips at the currents of pain shooting through her body.

Anya frowned slightly “It appears a little inflamed” she assessed. But she knew that Nyko would be travelling with them any way, so the man could take a look at the girl’s back later again. She opted to lightly wash off the remains of the ointment from the girl’s skin first.

Freya clenched her teeth against the pain the rough cloths caused to shoot through her body, instinctively trying to get away from the cause again.

Anya’s brown eyes were apologetic, as she grasped onto the girl’s hip again, keeping her in place and she quickly continued her task. She petted the skin dry cautiously with a clean towel, before applying another layer of the ointment and finally winding a bandage around the princesses' upper body. “All done" she proclaimed with a slight sigh, it was obvious that her treatment had only increased the girl’s pain. One of her hands caressed over Freya’s neck lightly. The girl was breathing heavy and a sheen of sweat moistened her skin, probably from the effort of keeping silent.

Freya nodded curtly, forcing a pained grimace from her features. She let the general help her in dressing gratefully, wondering absentmindedly, if Nyko had only been correct in his assessment. Freya did not feel fit for travelling at all and surely not through a whole day and she wondered how she would manage it.

Although she did not feel particularly hungry and her stomach felt in fact a little unsettled already, Freya forced some food into herself under the watchful eyes of the general.

She internally wondered who would be accompanying them on their travels, besides the healer. The healer had been surprisingly kind to her, but Freya knew that she should not expect an overly warm welcome among the warriors and she highly doubted that it would be any better in TonDC. She mused if the place might be having a special meaning to the general.

“Do you have family in TonDC?” Freya asked the general, once she had finished with her own food. If she forced herself to eat any more, she would only get sick. She was wondering about the other woman’s past, not knowing more than that she had acted as a first to the commander.

Anya looked over at the princess for a second, before she answered “My brother lives there".

Freya tilted her head to the side slightly, trying to imagine how the woman’s brother might look like. “What about the rest of your family?” she questioned in a soft tone.

A flash of sadness washed over Anya’s face, before it blanked again “He is the only one left" she spelled out gravely.

Freya inclined her head in mute acknowledgment, regretting to have asked at all, she not meant to stir up bad memories. She would have liked to ask what had happened to them, but let the question fall from her mind again, maybe the general would offer more insight into her past willingly with time. She wondered if the other woman would ever truly consider her a part of her family in the future, she almost desperately wished that they would one day be a family together. The general seemed lost in her thought and Freya thought that a hint of sadness remained in her brown eyes.

Her voice was hesitant, as she proclaimed her thoughts “I hope that I can become your family one day…”, she tried to meet the general’s piercing gaze, but as soon as the words had left her mouth, Freya lost all her courage, wishing to be able to pull the words back again and kept her eyes locked on her empty plate instead.

Anya was caught off guard by the girl’s words, she truly had not expected the girl to say anything, least of all what she had just said. Her lips pulled into an honest smile as she awkwardly agreed “I hope so too.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Freya looked up at the general’s audible confirmation, surprise flashing over her features, while hope began to kindle in her chest and a shy smile played around her lips.

Their short moment was interrupted only a second later by an abrupt knock resonating through the room.

Annoyance flashed over Anya’s face as she called out the permission to enter. A young handmaid peeked her head inside, relaying the message that the group which would join them would be ready to begin their travel in a candle mark. The young woman also carried a bundle with clothes; the tailor had sent everything for Freya, he had been able to come up with on such short notice. Anya dismissed her again immediately with the order to proclaim that the both of them would be ready by then.

“Do you want to eat a little more?” Anya coaxed the girl with a slightly hopeful tone, the princess had still not eaten nearly enough to her liking.

Freya shook her head in the negative, a hint of guilt flashing over her features minutely, as she lowered her eyes again.

Anya sighed under her breath, opting to pack some of the leftovers for later instead, that way the princess would be able to eat something if she pleased on the road, without the need to call for the whole group to pause. She internally wondered if forcing the girl to ride through the day was really such a good idea at all. She stood from the table, wrapping some of the bread into a cloth and storing it in a bag.

Freya busied herself with inspecting the clothes the handmaid had brought. To her internal relieve she found a pair trousers, a warm shirt and a coat, together with some dark boots, which would all fit her much better than the loose clothing she was wearing at the moment.

“You should change into them” Anya interrupted the girl’s thoughts nonchalantly, arms stretched over her head as she weaved her typical braids into her hair, pulling some of them away from her face.

Freya nodded and slowly undressed again, biting her lips slightly at the pain the simply movement still caused her. Dressing again took her even longer than undressing previously had, but the clothes really fit much better. The trousers actually were pretty tight fitting and Freya was sure that she would need a little time to get used to the feeling of the material, sitting on her body as if she wore a second skin.

Anya watched the girl dress from the corner of her eyes and she internally had to note that the clothing suited the girl much better than the loose dress had. Dresses were also highly impractical on a journey. If the princess truly enjoyed wearing dresses, she would be able to do so in the capitol, but on the road, trousers were simply the logical choice. A blush dusted over her cheeks minutely at the thought that the subtle roundness of the girl’s backside was accentuated nicely by the tight material. She cleared her throat audibly, shooing her thoughts from her mind for now. “Do you want me to braid your hair too?” she offered instead in a kind tone. She usually only wore her hair completely open during the night or while bathing.

Freya nodded in mute agreement immediately, sitting down on the stool the general motioned her to with her back straight.

Anya quickly brushed out the girl’s long blonde hair, before she began to weave a few tight braids from the girl’s forehead back, minimizing the amount of hair which would be obscuring her view later. “You know already that I prefer a verbal answer when I am talking to you, instead of only nodding and shaking your head” she commented, tone carefully light, but Anya failed at banishing all annoyance from it.

Freya’s shoulders dropped visibly, as guilt flashed over her features “I will try harder…” she immediately promised with a sigh. It was hard for her to now act so different again, she had learned how to behave for her mother painfully over the years and it already contrasted starkly to what Anya obviously wanted her to be like.

 Anya nodded in acknowledgment, she knew that it would take time for the princess to adapt her behaviour to her new living situation and she resigned herself to the fact that she would probably be repeating this quiet a lot in the immediately future, until it had truly sunk into the girl’s mind.

“I want you to have this” she addressed the princess, after retrieving a dagger and a matching sheath from a trunk filled with various weapons. Anya offered the handle of the blade to the girl and waited patiently until Freya grasped onto it.

Freya’s fingers curled around the handle of the blade instinctively, she had been relatively talented when it came to fighting with a dagger during her training. She was slightly surprised to be handed a weapon at all.

“If we are attacked, you will not be completely defenceless” Anya reasoned, frowning slightly at the open surprise on the girl’s face. She had explained to her already that she would not be treated as a prisoner, so it angered her slightly that the girl was so surprised to be offered a means of protection.

“Thank you” Freya proclaimed honestly, blue eyes only minutely flicking up towards the general’s face, before she also took the sheath and fastened it to her trousers. It had been such a long time that she had been armed with a weapon, that its weight felt slightly alien, dangling at her hip like that.

Anya nodded curtly, banishing the slight surge of anger from her mind forcefully, while she fastened her own weapons to her body. She did not know how well the girl could fight with a sword, so she had decided against providing her with one. She hoped that the princesses’ health would allow her to start training her at least a little during their time in TonDC. She would feel better if she knew that her wife could efficiently protect herself, it would be naïve to assume that the assassins from the previous day, would remain the only ones seeking to kill the Ice princess.

“We shall leave now” Anya proclaimed finally, buckling her coat closed “Is there anything else you need during the journey?” she asked, she had tried to think of everything, but she did not know the girl well enough to truly assess her wants.

Freya shook her head in the negative, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth minutely. “Will I get a horse as well?” she questioned finally.

Anya grimaced lightly. They would be riding the whole day and she highly doubted that the girl was healthy enough to manage riding on her own all these hours. “I would prefer for you to share my horse for now” she finally settled on as an answer.

Freya nodded immediately “I don’t mind” she reassured quickly, before she added “I doubt that I can remain on a horse all day without help”. Honestly, she was looking a little forward to being close to the general for such a prolonged time, maybe they would have a little privacy as well during the journey. She smiled slightly at the general, emphasizing her words mutely with it.

Anya inclined her head subtly, motioning the girl towards the door, casting one glance back through the room, but not being able to think of anything which they might have forgotten now.

Freya felt anticipation settle back into her mind, once she stepped outside of the room. She looked over her shoulder, waiting for the general to join her. She steeled herself against the hostile welcome, Freya was honestly expecting from the group of Trikru warriors waiting for them at the base of the tower. It would have to suffice that Anya would be at her side, but a little part of Freya feared that the general would in fact treat her different outside of the privacy of their quarters. She gave the older woman a shaky smile, when Anya stepped up next to her, trying to calm her frantic nerves.

Anya watched the girl from the corner of her eyes, wondering why she looked so tense all of a sudden again. Only moments ago, the girl had looked almost excited at the prospect to begin their journey, so she did not understand her obvious change of mind. She let one of her hands rest lightly on the small of the girl’s back for a moment, while they waited for the elevator to complete the descend to the basement of the tower, hoping to reassure her with her fleeting touch. She let her hand fall back to her side, once the door of the elevator slid open again and she motioned the girl outside.

Freya breathed in deeply once they stepped outside, she had kept her gaze mostly fixed at the ground at her feet, knowing all too well how the guards posted around the tower had been constantly glaring at her venomously. The morning air was crisp with a hint of frost, foreshadowing the upcoming cold season. Freya absentmindedly thought of her mother’s fortress, already buried deeply under layers and layers of snow and ice. She knew that the season passed differently in Azgeda in comparison to the lands of the other clans, while the Desert Clan for example never saw snow, the deepest parts of Azgeda were constantly covered in snow. She wondered how Trikru looked like in winter and how a real summer would feel like, she had never before experienced the blazing heat of a summer day, only having heard tales of it so far.

“Come” Anya pulled the girl out of her thoughts after a moment, touching one of her elbows only for the fraction of a second.

Freya inclined her head, swallowing once, before she straightened herself, walking beside the general until they reached the group obviously waiting for them. She briefly left her gaze travel around the group. The group consisted of twelve people and she only recognized Nyko among them, she had never seen any of the others.

All of them nodded respectfully towards Anya and Freya internally wondered if any of them were on the same rank as the general, but it did not really matter anyway. She had not expected any of them to acknowledge her own presence in any form, but Freya was positively surprised, that she did not see any of them really glare at her as well. Their expressions were not exactly friendly either, but she would take cold indifference over open hostility gratefully at this point.

Freya followed the general hesitantly, the older woman had immediately went over to a hazelnut horse, caressing the soft skin between the mount’s nostrils gently, whispering something to the horse. The general’s expression clearly portrayed her fondness for her horse.

Freya smiled slightly at the sight, a hint of amusement dancing through her blue eyes. The older woman had mostly appeared stern and austere until now and this surely showed another side of the woman, Freya wondered just how much she could still uncover of the woman.

“Her name is Bre” Anya said, glancing over her shoulder minutely at the girl, motioning her closer. The hazelnut horse flicked its ears immediately, huffing at the newcomer. “Give me your hand” she ordered, holding out one of her own towards the princess, palm upwards.

Freya frowned slightly at the order, but willingly placed one of her hands into the warm palm of the general, feeling her calloused fingers close lightly around her own fingers.

Anya pulled the girl’s hand slowly towards Bre’s nostrils, holding still and giving her horse a moment to sniff at the princesses’ fingers.

Freya smiled slightly at the feeling of the horse’s breath tickling over her fingers. She emitted a little laugh, when Bre suddenly raised her enormous head and huffed out a huge breath, ruffling her hair slightly in the process.

“She likes you” Anya assessed thoughtfully, letting go of the girl’s fingers with a satisfied expression, feeling a little warmth settle in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the princess genuinely laughing. She heard the shuffling of feet around her and a few of the others had already mounted their own horses, obviously impatient to finally leave the capitol. Her brown eyes quickly flitted over their surroundings, she could not spot anything suspicious at the moment, but all of them would need to keep vigilant during their journey.

Anya put her hands on the girl’s hips, hoisting her up into the saddle quickly. Her brown eyes showed a hint of an apology, as she immediately mounted behind the princess, she was not deaf to the girl’s suppressed hiss of pain.

Freya breathed in deeply at the sensation of being weightless for a second, surprised slightly by the general’s obvious effortless strength. The older woman had lifted her onto the horse, as if she was not weighing anything at all.

Her mind flashed back unbidden to the last time, she had been on a horse and the less than ideal conditions of it.

Anya frowned, when she felt the girl tense in front of her only a second later, wondering what could have spooked the girl. She lightly nudged Bre’s flank, prompting the horse to begin to move in a slow pace and motioning the whole group mutely, to get moving. She cast one last glance at the tower minutely, before she focused on their surroundings. Anya put one arm around the girl’s body, grasping onto Bre’s reigns lightly, while her other hand rested on the princesses’ hip. She lightly squeezed down over the girl’s hip, feeling the girl’s body still tense against herself “You are safe now” she reassured Freya, leaning forward slightly, breathing her words into the girl’s ears.

Freya shuddered slightly, when the general’s calm tone penetrated her mind, shooing her dark memories away for now. She breathed out deeply, letting her hand join lightly on the general’s hand on her hip. “I know” she retorted lowly, her voice quivering slightly, although she did believe the words in this moment. She kept herself stiff in the saddle, unsure if she should lean back, while she let her gaze travel over the capitol. She had not seen more than the markets before, but they were deserted at this time of the day, the vendors still had to open their respective stalls.

Anya rolled her eyes at the girls, impossible for Freya to see behind her back “You can lean back” she reassured softly “Make yourself more comfortable, you will surely be stiff anyway tomorrow” she added with a slight note of a tease.

Freya sighed under her breath, with a nod, before she let herself fall back slightly, body slackening as she relaxed against the general’s firm body, feeling her arm curl around her midriff immediately, securing her in the saddle.

Once they had passed the wall, which had been erected around the inner cycle of Polis, it did not take them long at all to reach the outskirt of Polis, the buildings thinned out, as more and more trees intermingled in the streets. The pavement from the pervious world had already broken up in places, destroyed by nature claiming back its original place on the world.

Freya watched the surroundings change with a smile, on her way to the capitol she had been nearly delirious with fever and had not been able to process any of the sights, but now she noticed just how green the capitol already looked and she wondered how dense the forests within the Trikru lands were, when the capitol already was vegetated like this. She would have liked to actually talk with the general, but the group of warriors were riding so close, that she was fairly certain that at least some of them would be able to listen in into their conversations, so she kept her mouth shut, focusing on the nature around them instead. She was also acutely aware of the general’s arm still lying around her midriff and she could feel her chest pressing against her own back through her coat.

There was not much talk during their journey, Freya quickly noticed that the warriors were all occupied with cautiously observing their surroundings. She had wondered already why the group which travelled with them was so large, but she guessed that the commander and Anya shared her opinion, that her mother would not have just sent a single pair of assassins after her.

~ ~ ~

Anya felt Freya’s body slackening even further in her arms as the time passed. They had made good progress until now and it did not seem as if they had been followed by anyone out of Polis. The sun had been shining down on them for some hours now, midday had already passed and she judged that they had at least covered half of their route.

She wondered if it would be better to call for a short pause, but it could probably not harm to let the princess sleep either. So, she mutely adjusted her grip on the reigns, giving her a better hold the girl’s slack body, as she had no intention of letting her fall down from Bre.

“We should stop soon” Nyko suddenly addressed her from his own mount. His blue eyes showed his concern for the Ice princess plainly as he asked “Have you applied more of the ointment in the morning?”

Anya inclined her head, but she grimaced slightly at the remembrance that some part of Freya’s wounds had looked a little inflamed.

Nyko openly glared at the general at the new information and he cussed under his breath. “You should have told me that before we began our journey!” he accused the woman heatedly “She should not be riding at all. If she relapses and dies, that is on you” he added, blue eyes serious.

Anya appeared speechless for a short moment, shocked slightly at the healer’s bluntness. She had not assumed that it would change the girl’s frail health this drastically. She frowned slightly at the thought that Freya could die, because of her decision and she immediately pulled at Bre’s reigns harshly, loudly proclaiming that they would be taking a break for now.

Some of the others did not seem pleased with it, but no one outright argued with her, surely briefed by the commander that Anya was to have command over the group.

Freya startled awake at the general’s raised voice, tensing immediately.

“We are taking a break and Nyko will look at your wounds again” Anya quickly explained. They had left the open spaces and reached one of the forests, so typical for Trikru.

Freya did not formulate an answer to Anya’s words, mind too focused on all the immensely rich green colour surrounding them. She had never seen trees covered in moss like that, if she did not know it any better, she would have said that even the air seemed to have a greenish moist tint.

“Are you running a fever?” Anya asked, worry rising immediately at the lack of any kind of reaction. Bre had stopped abruptly, neighing a little in protest at the sudden stop and Anya let go of the reigns, feeling the princesses’ forehead for an elevated temperature.

“No” Freya shook her head with her brows creased together. She could clearly hear the worry in Anya’s tone, but she was unable to puzzle out why the general seemed worried. Had they already spotted assassins following them?

Anya nodded in acknowledgment, but was not entirely convinced. She dismounted quickly, keeping one hand on the girl’s hip in case she would suddenly loose her balance in the saddle, before she hoisted Freya down from Bre again.

Nyko watched the general’s antics with a mixture of a frown and amusement. He had not assumed that his words would mean anything to the general, but it was obvious that the woman was worried now. He would not have assumed for the woman’s mind to change so quickly, he could still remember the open hostility Anya had shown, when she had nearly dragged the feverish princess in front of the commander. Whatever had transpired in the mean time between the general and the princess, had obviously already changed both of them and only time would tell now, if they would truly find a home in each other.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Freya was internally grateful that Gustus and Anya led her a slight distance away from the rest of the group, their view obscured by a thick tree, before she was told to strip down.

Anya stood beside her, taking her coat from her shoulders and waiting for the healer to start his task.

Freya frowned slightly, when it seemed as if the general was hovering next to her, as if she was worried that she was not well at all. She internally wondered if she might have missed something, while she had slept. She blushed faintly in shame at the realization that she had slept away most of their journey until now, it could not have been long after leaving Polis behind that she had drifted off.

Nyko was quick and efficient in his work and Freya looked over at Anya, holding her gaze in silence, as she stood upper body bare in front of the healer, wincing slightly, when the man prodded at her skin none too gently.  

Anya waited with an almost baited breath for Nyko's assessment, she had not intended to worsen her wife’s condition and she was feeling guilty, that she might have. She had hurried their leave along, simply because she had wanted to remove Freya from the immediate range of the assassins and she had truthfully hoped that the more informal setting of TonDC could help them to grow closer quicker. She would have much more time available in TonDC without her duties to the commander busying her for most of the day.

Anya tapped one of her feet in clear impatience and she highly suspected that the healer was taking his time on purpose, her lips thinned in growing irritation.

“I am fine" Freya spoke up hesitantly, one corner of her mouth quirked up in the briefest hint of a smile and slight amusement was laced into her tone. Her blue eyes were focused on the general’s face and she only closed them a moment later in an attempt to blind out a hot current of pain shooting from her spine outwards.

Anya’s brows furrowed at the obvious display of pain, she had heard the princesses' breaths hitch as well.

“It does seem a little infected” Nyko proclaimed with a slight grimace “Not nearly as bad as it has been, but I will have to monitor the healing closely".

Anya inclined her head in mute agreement, she would make sure personally that her wife was taken care of in TonDC. She wondered if starting their journey at this time had been a mistake on her part, but there was nothing she could do to change it no anyway, she would just have to make sure that Freya would recover.

Nyko rummage through a bag, searching for some herbs and he passed them over to the Ice princess with the instruction to chew them. They would be able to fight off any rising fever, before it could really take hold of the girl’s body.

Freya took them without complaint, but her expression clearly showed just how vile they tasted.

Anya held the girl’s coat open for her, once Nyko had stepped back and she had redressed in her shirt, buckling close as well.

“I am really fine" Freya repeated her previous assurance, she thought that a hint of guilt still showed within the general’s brown eyes.

Anya sighed lightly under her breath “I will make sure that you will be from now on” she promised gravely, brown eyes intent. By entering a bond with the princess, she had officially agreed to take care of her as well and she had never been one to do things halfway.

Freya just met the general’s intense gaze for a long moment, feeling the kindling hope within her chest growing stronger and she smiled softly at the older woman. “Should we not join the others and continue on?” she asked after another moment, where they had both just mutely held each other’s gaze. Freya would have readily stayed here with the general, but she knew that they still had quiet some distance to cover and she suspected that the group had planned to ride until they reached their destination. She had not spotted any tents among their packed equipment.

Anya nodded in agreement mutely, the spell of the moment broken for now. She turned curtly on her heels, preceding the girl with fast strides and expecting her to follow without being prompted.

Freya smirked for a second as she followed the general, she was sure that she had seen the hint of a blush dusting over the older woman’s features for a moment. Her smirk froze and vanished, when she came face to face with one of the warriors travelling with them. The burly man had suddenly appeared in her path and she had nearly bumped into him, the sneer plastered on his face and the way his dark eyes glittered venomously at her, made Freya shudder involuntary, she knew those looks and they usually resulted in pain for her.

“So, it is true then” the man sneered at her, one hand visibly resting on the pommel of his sword in a clearly threatening gesture.

Freya swallowed thickly, while she looked back at the man, trying in vain to appear braver and stronger than she felt. She could barely make out the rest of the group in a slight distance, obscured by the density of the woods around them. Anya must have already left to Bre and the man had probably lurked around and watched how Nyko had treated her previously. She suddenly felt ashamed and exposed at the thought that this stranger had observed the healer treating her. She did not like the way at all with which this man was scrutinizing her. She raised her chin defiantly at him.

“You should have already been executed” he added, voice cold and hateful “I’d gladly make up for it, Ice Nation scum is not wanted here!” His hand tightened on his sword minutely, before he pulled it from its sheath with a scraping noise, sending shivers down Freya’s limps.

Freya instinctively took a step back from the man, trying to bring distance between herself and his sword. She knew well enough that her dagger would do very little to protect her faced against this clearly superior opponent. She tried to assess if screaming would be able to alert the rest of the group quick enough. A small part of herself wondered if anyone of them would even come to her rescue at all. She was fairly certain that at least Anya would protect her, she just did not know if her hand would only be guided by a sense of pure obligation or if maybe more of the austere general would want her to continue to live.

“One step further and your fight will end!” the general’s voice suddenly thundered darkly.

Freya blinked for a second at the scene in front of her, it appeared as if the older woman had suddenly materialised out of thin air and was now pressing the cold steel of a dagger against the other warrior’s throat. She could see the general’s hand tightening its grip slightly, breaking the delicate skin on the man’s neck just lightly, a bead of red blood running down his throat, bobbing beneath the blade once. She was slightly startled by the fierce protectiveness openly shining in the woman’s brown eyes.

“Okay…” the man pressed out, dark eyes showing that he believed without a sliver of doubt that the general would indeed kill him for this. His swords dropped down on the ground of the forest only a moment later.

“If I ever hear you threaten my wife or even look at her, I will kill you with my bare hands!” Anya hissed into the ears of the warrior. She had known the man for years and knew that he had lost almost all of his family to the continued skirmishes with Ice Nation. She could fathom that a thirst for revenge had prompted him to threaten the Ice princess now, but Anya would not stand back and accept that, the girl was her wife now and no one would attack her and live to tell the tale about it.

The man nodded his head as much as possible with the general’s dagger still pressing sharply against his throat.

Anya growled at him once more, before she retracted her dagger, simultaneously pushing the other man to his knees on the forest’s ground harshly. She held out a hand towards Freya, urging her wife to come closer to her and follow her. She breathed a little calmer when Freya indeed grasped onto her hand, allowing herself to be guided away. Anya let her eyes quickly scan over the girl, she had been sure that the princess would have immediately followed her before and had only returned when there had been no sign of the girl moments later still. She could not detect any visible wounds on the girl’s body beside the burnt skin on her cheek “Have you been hurt?” she asked nevertheless, brown eyes intently meeting her blue ones. The princess looked a little shaky and pale, probably frightened by the near attack.

Freya shook her head in the negative, swallowing down the lump still lodged deeply in her throat. She had still not let go of the general’s hand and she was comforted and calmed by its warmth. “You came on time” she reassured the older woman, voice still notably shaking. Sadness washed over her features at the realization that scenes like this would probably keep up on repeating themselves even in TonDC. The people of Trikru had no reason to welcome her in their midst after all, too much blood had been shed on both sides for such a transition between their clans to go over easily. She was certain that the general could not be around to protect her at all times, so she would truly need to take up training again, if she wished to be able to protect herself and survive a while longer.

Anya nodded, expression still slightly darkened. “You will ride behind me from now on” she proclaimed a second later, guiding the girl back to the rest of the group.

Nyko frowned when he noticed the general’s darkened expression, wondering what had gone on.

Anya’s expression turned murderous, as she let her gaze travel over the rest of the group and her voice was underlined with a deadly conviction “To make this absolutely clear, Freya from Azgeda is my wife now and whoever threatens her next will die at my hand”. She did not wait for a verbal reaction of the other warriors, instead mounting Bre briefly and hoisting the princess up on the horse behind herself. It was obvious that Freya was slightly surprised by her declaration, but she could not identify the rest of the emotions flitting through her blue eyes. They would be passing through rougher terrain from now on and she would need to sit in front to fully steer Bre efficiently. She also hoped that this position would be slightly easier on Freya’s wounded back.

Nyko had watched the general’s antics quietly. Internally he mused that this bonding might truly be a good thing for the other woman as well and he was already convinced that the general either had already or was at least in the process of developing feelings for the meek princess, exceeding her obligation to the princess already.

Freya gingerly rested her hands onto the general’s hips at first, unsure on how to hold on without it becoming awkward at once.

Anya stopped her dilemma, by grasping onto her hands and pulling them around herself, efficiently pulling the girl closer to her body as well. Feeling the girl’s subtle curve melt against her back was certainly a feeling, she could get used to easily.

Freya gasped lightly at being pulled closer to the general like that, but she relaxed immediately after a short moment, gingerly resting her forehead against the other woman’s shoulders. Soon, she felt as if her senses were encased completely, by the general’s scent and comforting warmth. She barely felt it, as her mind began to slow only shortly later, drifting off to sleep only moments later as well.

Anya let go of the reigns with one hand, placing them around the princesses’ crossed hands when she felt her body slacking behind her on the horse, making sure that the girl would not suddenly drop from it like that. She vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power that scenes like this between Freya and her companion, would not be repeating itself. The girl would never gain self-confidence and get comfortable, if she had to fear for her life from her every side. The idea of officially integrating Freya into Trikru popped up in her mind again. If the marriage would not be enough to protect Freya from harm from other members of Trikru, integrating her officially into the clan and with the commander’s blessing would surely assure her safety for good.

~ ~ ~

The rest of the journey passed without problems. It worried Anya slightly, that the princess seemed to have slept through almost the complete journey. She had not felt the girl’s temperature rising but she would make sure that she rested during the next days and she would surely not take up training with her, before Nyko agreed that she truly would be ready to either.

Her own body was feeling slightly stiff and her muscles ached from being upright in the saddle for hours without end until now. The sun was slowly beginning to ascend as night began to fall around them, but Anya knew that they had nearly reached TonDC and the horses would be able to be pushed through the rest of the way. They were far too close to the Mountain to even consider making camp for the night, according to Indra’s reports a growing number of reapers had been spotted leaving the Mountain in the last months. Anya dearly hoped that they would not encounter any of them still.

Anya urged Bre on to move faster still and she heard the rest of the group following suit.

Freya woke slowly to the sensation of being shaken quiet strongly. It took her sleep addled mind a moment to piece together where she even was and she involuntarily tightened her arms around the general’s midriff minutely. If the pain in her back had been a hollow ache before, it felt like a burning fire now and the fresh burns on her cheek hurt like hell as well. The effects of the herbs had obviously worn off completely and Freya internally prayed that they would reach their destination soon.

“We will arrive shortly” Anya addressed the girl behind her in a calm tone, glancing over her shoulder minutely. She frowned slightly at the clearly pained expression on her wife’s features. She contemplated still calling for another stop shortly “Can you hold on for a little longer?” she questioned, worry underlining her tone, while she tightened her hand over the girl’s arms.

Freya nodded her head slightly in agreement, clenching her teeth against the pain clouding her mind, as she let herself fall forward against, resting her whole weight against the older woman’s lean frame, with a heavy sigh passing past her lips.

“We are too close to the Mountain to stop now” Anya reasoned, regret tinting her tone noticeably, while her eyes flitted over their surroundings on high alert. There were not just the Mountain and the reapers to think off but also several other dangers lurking in the forests during the night.

Freya shook her head slightly, she did not wish to cause any trouble for the group. “It is okay…” she reassured lowly, a pained groan following her words immediately.

Anya pursed her lips, feeling sorry to hear the girl clearly suffering and being unable to do anything to ease her suffering at this moment. She urged Bre onwards even faster, clapping her flank in apology as the horse huffed in light complaint.

Freya tightened her arms around the general, trying to focus her mind on the older woman in front of her to somehow blind at least of the pain from her mind. She had no idea for how long they continued onwards, it had already turned dark by the time, that Anya pulled tightly on the reigns again, forcing Bre to a sudden halt.

Freya raised her head clearly strained, nearly falling from the horse, when Anya dismounted in front of her abruptly, only the general quickly grasping onto her body, kept the princess from falling face first to the ground. Her vision was a little blurred as she met Anya’s concerned eyes and noticed a wall behind them. In her periphery, she noticed the rest of the group closing up to them and dismounting as well.

Anya kept one hand on the girl’s elbow and the other on the small of her back. She herself felt already tired and exhausted and she could only try to imagine how the frail princess would be feeling at the moment. She wanted to bring the girl to the hut they would be assigned for their stay as soon as possible now.

Freya frowned slightly at the general when the wall behind them suddenly began to move, giving a clear view to a village behind it.

Two guards stepped out from behind the wall, both nodding respectfully towards the general in mute greeting.

Anya only shortly inclined her head to them, ignoring their presence otherwise, while she lightly nudged her wife in the direction of the village. She would have enough time to report and speak with Indra in the morning, reconnecting with her brother could also wait until tomorrow. She guided Freya into TonDC, weaving her way through the buildings with old familiarity.

She was slightly surprised to meet Indra on the way. The dark-skinned warrior scrutinized the princess unabashedly, while Freya barely noticed her presence, clearly at the absolute end of her strength for the day.

Anya bluntly asked the warrior in which hut they would be staying for now, not in the mood to exchange pleasantries at the moment and only wanting to turn in for the rest of the night.

Indra frowned slightly, but readily pointed a hut out to them “A light dinner has been supplied for you” Indra proclaimed on their way “You should find anything, you might need” and before she left them at the entrance she added honestly “It is good to see you again, Anya”.

Anya inclined her head in mute agreement, opening the door to the hut for Freya. It worried her that the princess had not said a single word since they had dismounted.  

“I am fine” Freya said in reassurance while the general closed the door behind them. A fire was blazing in the fire place and the hut seemed almost comfy. “I just need to sleep” she added, noticing the other woman’s worried eyes resting on her.

Anya quickly inspected the hut, finding it sufficiently stocked for their stay. She filled a mug with some water and pushed it into her wife’s hand mutely, waiting for her to take at least a few sips.

Freya forced the hint of a grateful smile onto her features, while sipping a little of the water. Her smile turned more honest, when their fingers brushed slightly as she handed the mug back to the general.

She followed the older woman willingly, when Anya proclaimed that they could immediately turn in for the night now. The bed was definitely smaller than the one they had had in Polis, but it would be big enough to share.

Anya changed her clothing quickly, before she offered some assistance to her wife as well, who seemed close to falling asleep on her feet. The long journey had been strenuous for her as well and she longed to slip under the furs and finally rest.

Freya stopped in front of the bed for a moment, looking down at it with a slight frown, unsure on which side to choose.

Anya stopped the girl’s obvious contemplation, by lying down first, in a way that would assure that the girl could again end up cuddled to her, without her burnt cheek disturbing her sleep.

Freya lied down a little tense, she wished to be slightly closer to the general, but was not entirely sure of how the older woman would perceive that.

“You can come as close as you wish” Anya offered into the silence which had settled between them with amusement colouring her tone, the girl’s subtle glances into her direction were not as subtle.

Freya blushed lightly and after another short moment of contemplation, she indeed scooted closer to Anya. Her blue eyes flitted up to the older woman’s face assessing her reaction and she let herself relax with relief coursing through her mind. She absentmindedly noted how well their bodies fitted into each other, before she drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Anya woke on the next morning to the sun beating down on her face relentlessly. She frowned slightly, she usually stood up much earlier than that.

She felt the princesses’ body still lying heavily in her arms and her breath ghosting over the delicate skin of her throat in warm puffs of moist air, sending a slight shiver through her own frame. Her own shirt must have ridden up slightly through the night and one of the girl’s hands rested sprawled out on the skin of her exposed stomach, while she had wedged one of her legs between her own, dangerously close to her groin.

Anya bit back a slight groan, when she became aware of another part of her being wide awake already, tenting her pants quite obviously. She cursed herself internally for her strong physical reaction to the girl’s closeness, her mind was not the most helpful, when it pointed out how nicely the girl’s subtle breasts pressed against herself felt right now. Anya knew that it had been too long since she had taken anyone to her bed, so it was really no wonder that her body was reacting so strongly now.

She tried to forcefully divert her attention, made so much harder by the girl’s regular breathing still tickling her neck, and instead cautiously brought a hand to her wife’s forehead, feeling her temperature quickly. With a slight sigh of relieve at finding the skin completely normal to the touch, she pulled it back again.

Anya let her gaze wander over the girl’s features for long moments, still relaxed in sleep. The girl truly looked peaceful and totally relaxed at the moment, so it seemed that she was taking some comfort out of their close proximity. She huffed lightly in annoyance, when willing her erection away by diverting her thoughts, did not even help a little bit. She was not a hormonal teenager anymore, so she should have better control over her own body.

She bit back a light curse, when Freya moved a little in her sleep, bringing her knee upwards, pressing it directly into her erection. Anya tried to somehow adjust herself, without waking the princess in the process. Her body felt tense with the arousal coursing through her veins and thinking of much else than the soft body pressed against her own, was becoming increasingly difficult. The girl’s breath ghosting over her throat suddenly almost appeared to be a deliberate caress, although the rational part of Anya’s mind knew that this assumption was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. The princess had not shown any sign of physical attraction in that sense yet, although she found it promising that the girl obviously was quickly developing a sense of security within her close proximity.

She tensed further when the girl’s hand on her stomach suddenly began to move as well slightly, prompting another shudder to run through her body. When a moan finally tumbled out of her lips, Anya wound herself out of the girl’s arms quick as lightning and immediately left into the bathroom, not even looking over her shoulder if she might have woken her wife or not.

~ ~ ~

Freya woke abruptly from her slumber and it took her a moment to realize that she was alone in the bed. One of her hands rested flatly on the mattress beside herself and she felt that the empty side of the bed was still warm, as if the general had just slipped out only mere moments ago.

She stretched herself lightly, stopping her movements immediately, when she stretched her back as well and she bit back a hiss of pain the movement caused. She stayed in that position for a silent moment, until her ears picked up the sound of a grunt coming from the door to the bathroom. She frowned at the door, wondering what was going on.

Freya contemplated standing up for long silent moments, until she heard another grunt, more a loud moan this time. Her frown deepened and she careful slid out from under the furs, hissing slightly, when she straightened herself. Her heart picked up its rate, almost expecting that the general might be fighting off an assassin. Freya steeled herself slightly, she would not stand back uselessly this time, if they were truly attacked again.

She looked around the room quickly and spotted the dagger, the general had given her the previous day, still lying on her folded clothes. She quickly took it up and stepped closer to the bathroom, when she heard another moaning sound coming from behind the door.

Slowly and silent, trying not to give away her location in the process, Freya pushed the door open with her heart beating furiously in her throat, dagger raised slightly, ready to defend herself.

The scene in front of her, made her freeze in her place though. The general stood alone in the bathroom, pants lowered to her knees, shirt discarded beneath herself, bracing herself with one arm against the wall, while the other was obviously occupied otherwise. She gulped soundlessly, when she noticed the older woman’s hand fisting her own very much erect cock. The general’s eyes were closed and her features showed her pleasure clearly, as another breathy moan left her mouth.

Freya was gaping at the older woman in surprise, heat rose to her cheeks and she felt something clench weirdly in her lower stomach at the sight the general unwillingly presented.

Anya’s moans turned almost guttural when Freya saw beads of moisture glistening at the tip of her erection. The air had turned heavy with a slightly tangy scent in the small bathroom and Freya’s eyes widened slightly, when an involuntary gasp passed through her clenched lips.

~ ~ ~

Anya looked up sharply at the loud exhale coming from the door. Her own eyes widened at spotting the princess standing in the opened door, dagger in one hand hanging loosely at her side. She quickly spotted signs of arousal in the girl, the way she stood with clenched thighs, a dark flush colouring her cheeks and her pupils blown wide. She involuntarily shuddered as she had the probably most anticlimactic climax in her life.

Freya seemed broken out of her daze by the sight of her climax, painting her own hand and the princess flew from the door in a haste.

Anya remained frozen in her spot for a moment, once again coursing herself a fool, she should have just taken a dip in the cold stream near TonDC instead or just fought of her arousal on the training pits, like she usually did in these cases. She wiped off the signs of her release on a cloth, dressing herself again quickly. She splashed her face with some water and huffed under her breath, she did not know exactly on how to face her wife now, neither how to specifically act around her as well. She internally feared that she had spooked the girl with her involuntary exhibition. She squared her shoulders a moment later and took a deep breath, before she finally stepped out of the bathroom.

Anya spotted Freya standing in front of a window, glancing out of the hut, fiddling the pendant around in her fingers. She opened her mouth to address the girl, when a knock resonated at the door loudly, startling the princess visibly.

Anya frowned slightly, but called out the permission to enter anyway, being fairly certain that it would be Nyko and she was proven correct a second later, when the healer entered.

“I will go and get breakfast” she proclaimed loudly and not waiting for an answer, left the hut with fast strides.

Anya inhaled the fresh air deeply, she always found that the air in TonDC was different than in Polis. TonDC was several magnitudes smaller than Polis and surrounded on all sides by the dense forest of Trikru, so she felt much more at home in the village than she ever would in the capitol, too crowded and too few trees for her likings.

She let her eyes travel over the village minutely. Most of the villagers were already occupied with their daily routine and she was greeted respectfully from all sides.

“Auntie Anya!” a shrill shriek made Anya pause in her path towards the cooking huts and she barely managed to crouch down to her knees, before a child jumped at her.

Anya smiled good-naturedly at the girl, ruffling her hair slightly as she pulled her up into her arms “Now see who has grown and gotten heavy” she teased the child, feigning that her weight was disturbing her.

“Let me down” the girl whined with a high laugh, fidgeting in Anya’s arms strongly.

Anya set the child down on her feet, really taking a look at her.

Big brown eyes looked back at her and the bright smile on the girl’s face showed a few missing teeth, while wild dark blonde locks framed her roundish features. The last time she had seen her brother’s girl had been almost two summers ago now and the child had still been a toddler back then, still sometimes struggling to walk straight. 

“You really have grown tall, little one” Anya assessed voice soft and brown eyes kind.

“Don’t wanna be called “little one” any longer, Auntie Anya” the girl complained with a slight sulk.

Anya laughed at the girl’s antics, holding up her hands in mock surrender “Alright, Emma, I shall never call you so again” she swore exaggeratedly “Where is your mother and my brother?”.

“Mama is helping the hunters and father is scouting” Emma answered immediately. Something flashed through her eyes “Do you really have a princess with you?” she asked, looking behind Anya’s taller body.

Anya smiled at the girl as she inclined her head in agreement “Freya is still in the hut” she answered the girl’s searching look.

“Can I see her?” Emma demanded, brown eyes staring up at the general in open enthusiasm “Is she wearing a crown? Can she…?”

“Slow down, Emma” Anya admonished the child in a soft tone “I am sure that Freya will gladly get to know you later” she absentmindedly thought that she should have probably warned her wife of the fact that her brother was having a family on his own.

Emma’s enthusiasm dimmed only momentarily, as she vividly began to narrate that she was being given her first trainings finally, having bugged both of her parents relentlessly for weeks, wanting to follow in her aunt’s footsteps and become a great warrior.

Anya felt touched by the fact that the girl, even though they had seen each other a long time ago for the last time, obviously still remembered her so fondly and her taken her as a role model.

“Should you not be training right now then?” Anya questioned the girl pointedly and the slight wince passing over Emma’s features was confirmation enough that the girl had obviously snuck away from her instructor.

She shook her head in amusement at the child “Back to the training grounds with you then” she ordered, nudging the girl lightly in the general direction.

“Are you not hungry, Auntie Anya?” Emma stalled instead, brown eyes perfectly innocent as she offered to fetch breakfast for her.

Anya gave the girl a pointed look in the direction of the training grounds and Emma scurried away as quickly as she had come. Anya watched the child leave with a fond smirk, it had been too long ago that she last seen her niece.

~ ~ ~

Anya returned to her assigned hut with breakfast in hand for Freya and herself, balancing the plates carefully. She was not surprised that the healer had already left and the princess was sitting stiffly on one of the chairs around the small table.

She placed the plates on the table, one of them directly in front of Freya. Her curiosity and worry for her wife’s health condition, made Anya ignore the tense atmosphere between them for now “What has Nyko said” she asked in a kind tone, sitting down on another chair, while pulling her own plate towards herself.

Freya looked up at the general finally, surprise and awkwardness flitting over her features.

She had sensed the older woman’s hesitation to speak to her right before Nyko had arrived and Freya had feared that she had witnessed something unbidden to her. Although the general had reassured her already that she did not have to fear physical punishment for anything from her hands, Freya could not stop her mind from assuming the worst outcome still.

Her innards had been coiled with anticipation of what would be happening when the general finally returned and the wait had stretched long, she guessed that the general had been delayed by something on her way to gather breakfast, but Freya had not dared to step out of the hut in search of her either.

It seemed as if whatever had delayed the general, had also lightened her mood considerably and Freya was fairly certain that she had not yet seen her brown eyes shine so brightly before.

“It will heal” she answered the general’s questioned, still slightly cautious “Nyko wants to continue the treatment until everything is scabbed over again” she added after a short beat of hesitation.

Relieve visibly flashed over Anya’s features and she inclined her head in acknowledgement “So, no new infection?” she checked nevertheless.

Freya shook her head in the negative. The healer had told her to keep it easy for the next few days, making sure that the wounded skin was kept clean and just to continue to apply some of the ointment and bandages over the affected areas.

“Good” Anya retorted honestly, as she began to eat her breakfast.

Freya copied the general’s behaviour and started to eat as well. Hesitant still and also still expecting some kind of reaction to what she had witnessed in the morning.

“I shall have to warn you that my niece is eagerly waiting to meet you” Anya informed the girl after a few moments of silence, she could almost physically feel the girl’s nerves radiating off of her in waves. She was not quite certain on how to reassure her that she did not need to worry about what happened in the morning.

Freya looked up from her breakfast, brows creased slightly in interest “Your niece?” she echoed. She failed to remember any other family member than the general’s brother, but she had not asked for more information either.

“Yes, my brother’s girl. She is named Emma” Anya added kindly, a gentle shine to her brown eyes “She is five summers old now”.

Freya nodded in mute acknowledgement, smiling softly. She liked children and would gladly meet the little girl.

“She is fascinated with the concept that you are a princess” Anya informed her wife with an amused smirk “She will probably have some weird questions prepared for you” she added with a light laugh.

Freya blinked at the general in slight confusion for a moment, as her features turned slightly cautious again.

“I am sure my brother and his wife will be inviting us to dinner soon as well” Anya continued in a calm tone. Although she had seen the girl’s expression dimming notably, she could not think of a cause and thought that simply continuing would be most sensible.

Freya nodded again with a slight frown. She did not quite know what to expect of that meeting, Anya had not told her anything about her brother yet, beside the fact that he lived in TonDC.

“Are you not hungry?” Anya questioned after a few moments, it seemed as if the princess had barely touched her plate and eaten even much less than the small portions, she had seen her eat before.

Freya shook her head in the negative, she felt rather queasy all of a sudden. She had not seen much of the village at all yet, but judging from the hostile behaviour of the warrior during their journey, Freya feared that she would be spending most of her stay within this small hut, being completely unwelcomed into the Trikru village.

Anya frowned in slight worry. She could see the nervousness in her wife’s blue eyes and she internally pondered if the girl was afraid of being punished for having witnessed her in the bathroom in the morning or if the surroundings of TonDC were already overwhelming the girl.

She chose to offer Freya a tour through the village, hoping to ease some of her worries that way. “I can show you around TonDC now” Anya proclaimed, tone light and eyes slightly hopeful. She really hoped that Freya would feel more comfortable here than she obviously did in the tower. The princess would be able to move much more freely through the village without the constant fear of being attacked. Anya would make sure personally that any of the villagers would think twice about harming her wife.

Freya breathed out forcefully, feeling her stomach clench painfully. She had looked forward to seeing TonDC, but she was afraid of the reactions of the villagers now.

“You can rest some more, if you are still feeling tired” Anya offered with the hint of a frown, sensing the girl’s hesitation to agree to leaving the hut.

Freya shook her head “It is alright” she agreed finally, trying to gather herself quickly “I just need a moment” she added, blue eyes pleading for understanding mutely.

Anya nodded in acknowledgement, a brief smile flickered over her features “Take your time” she said honestly, stretching herself upright in the chair.

Freya’s blue eyes followed the movements of Anya’s arms over her head and she quickly averted them, when the flexing of the general’s muscles, visible on her bare forearm reminded her of the morning. The general’s muscles had flexed and contracted visibly under with sweat glistening skin then as well. A deep blush coloured her cheeks, as Freya tried to shoo her thoughts from her mind and she felt another sensation clench her lower stomach weirdly again.

Anya’s frown deepened for a moment, until she noticed that the girl’s breathing was the slightest bit hitched as well. She could not stop herself from laughing out loud at the absurdity of the moment. She obviously did not have to fear that her wife could not find her body appealing, she was already exhibiting signs of attraction and arousal, but she could fathom that they might be confusing to the inexperienced girl. Anya would need to be as gentle and understand as possible with her, if she did not intent to scare her off immediately, when she did finally try to get intimate with her and consummate their bond.

“We shall go now…” she proclaimed, amusement still colouring her tone strongly, as she stretched out a hand deliberately for the girl to take.

Freya took another deep breath, trying to reign in her thoughts again. At least the general’s obvious good mood had managed to somehow put off the edges of her worries and she smiled hesitantly, as she placed her fingers into the general’s outstretched palm. She felt weirdly reassured that the general would make sure that she was protected from harm and it had been a long time ago that Freya ever had felt so cherished and the hope kindling in her chest, only grew again.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Freya let go of the general’s hand again as soon as she had been pulled to her feet, missing the reassuring warmth of the older woman’s calloused fingers immediately. She straightened herself and tried to school her features as much as possible, while she saw the general waiting up on her in the opened door.

She gave the older woman another nervous fleeting smile, before she finally joined her at the opened door. Freya felt her breath fluttering slightly, when Anya waited until she had walked directly up to her, feeling a warm hand being put reassuringly on the small of her back and she was given the lightest nudge out of the hut.

She had already looked out of the small window of the hut and as far as Freya could tell the Trikru village seemed to be of moderate size at best.

She had already heard the high-pitched laughter of a group of children, running through the village freely engaged in a game or another. The presence of children meant, that this was not just a military outpost, colonised only by warriors, but also a place for families to grow and Freya hoped direly that she would find easier acceptance among those people.

She could fathom why the better part of the commander’s army resented Ice Nation with a burning passion, but maybe these people would not be as hateful towards her.

Freya let her gaze travel through the village with interest and realized just now that the village seemed to almost blend into the forest, surrounded on all sides by the dense forest and some trees even stood between the buildings.

Some buildings had clearly been pieced together out of different materials still from the old world, while others seemed to only have had some remainders from before. Freya also saw that quite a number of buildings had been constructed solely out of wood, just like the hut they had slept in last night.

Freya learned that a lot of the resources in the village were freely shared with everyone. Anya showed her a kitchen hut, where the hunted game was prepared for everyone. She listened intently how Anya explained that everyone contributed what they could.

“Does it not work like that in Azgeda?” Anya asked, having seen the girl’s slightly confused reaction.

Freya shook her head “Not that I am aware of at least". She could not really speak for the whole of Ice Nation. She had rarely been allowed to travel with her father or older brothers and the villages they had encountered, usually catered to their every whim. She truly had no idea, how it worked for the average citizen. “I have never been to a village like this one” she admitted, a slight frown on her face and voice low and hesitant.

Her gaze remained hefted on a man butchering what must have been a deer to be preserved, the man clearly had trouble with one of his arms though.

“Callum fought well for several years" Anya answered the princesses’ mute question. She had fought alongside of the seasoned warrior in her youth, before his arm had been damaged beyond repair by a reaper.

Surprise flitted over Freya’s features momentarily. She was not certain if it was like that in smaller villages within Ice Nation as well, but in their fortress only physically fully capable warriors served their duty. She could distinctly remember spotting a man frozen to death in front of the walls of their fortress as a child. Her father had explained that the man had grown too old to serve well and had been sent from the fortress on the previous day. He had explained to her that only the strongest survived and that they had nothing to spare to feed those not worthy to survive.

Callum only looked at her shortly and Freya was even more surprised that his gaze had only been curious instead of spiteful, before he turned his attention back to his task at hand.

The village had a progressed scouting system established and Freya heard Anya’s explanation that the reapers were seen around the village more often with a furrowed brow. She had only heard distinct stories about the Mountain and the reapers. Although their own people had begun disappearing from the villages closest to the border, her mother had not shown any interest in actually guarding their borders better. Freya had thought that it would have been her mother’s duty, as the queen to protect her subjects, but her mother had called her a fool. She had droned on about the fact the she obviously understood the whole system wrong, the people had to be thankful to live under her rule.

All in all, the village appeared much more appealing than Polis did in Freya’s mind. The sheer size of Polis had been even more overwhelming to her and although there was no need for extravagant markets in this village, it had a certain homeliness around it, that Polis was missing. But Freya knew that they would be returning back to the capitol after some time and she guessed that she would get used to the hectic crowdedness of the capitol with time.

She was positively surprised that most of the people they encountered did at least not openly react in a hostile manner to her, although Freya was fairly certain that Anya’s looming presence was the actual reason for that. She was grateful that the general remained directly at her side the whole time, not even stepping away when they met who she assumed must the village’s chief.

Freya distinctly remembered that they had already encountered the serene dark-skinned warrior during their arrival in TonDC and she felt distinctly intimidated by her. Anya must have sensed her growing unease and Freya felt the general’s hand return lightly to the small of her back. She threw a subtle thankful smile at the older woman over her shoulder, barely even looking up at all and Freya hoped that the woman facing them would not have noticed. But Freya saw the small glimmer of surprise pass through her dark eyes, before she felt them narrowing down on her again.

Anya threw Indra a light warning glare, she had been positively surprised that the princess seemed to cope so well with being in the spotlight of everyone’s attention, but it was obvious that Indra was especially unnerving the girl and she had meekly lowered her eyes to the ground again.

“How long will you be staying?” Indra questioned the other general curtly.

Anya shook her head “We shall see" she answered evasively. Lexa had agreed to sent her reports from the capitol about the activity of potential assassins and Anya did not plan to return too soon anyway. She hoped that a little time away from her duties would help their bond to move along and deepen.

Indra's lips thinned visibly, but she nodded curtly, it was not her place to deny the general hospitality, even though she felt prompted to turn out the Ice princess. She had not believed the report saying that the girl had arrived in the capitol to assassinate the commander and had been bonded to Anya instead. She did not understand the commander’s motivation to allow such a thing, in her mind they should show Nia her place in every opportunity and executing her only daughter was surely a start. She internally had to admit that she was disappointed by the picture the princess presented. She truly was just a spindly runt and the fierceness and cruelty, Indra had come to expect from Ice Nation soldiers seemed to be absolutely missing, the girl seemed only meek and sickly instead.

Freya tried to keep her head down, but she looked up when she heard a childish voice call out to the general loudly “Auntie Anya, auntie Anya, is that the princess?”. She watched how a young girl came running into their direction and Freya looked over at Anya for a moment, blue eyes inquiring.

Anya watched Emma near them with an amused smirk tugging at her lips, but her brown eyes were still strict “Have you run from your lesson again, Emma?” she addressed the excited girl, calling Emma’s attention from Freya back to herself as she towered menacingly over her niece.

Emma had the decency to blush “Lessons were almost over” she proclaimed and her brown eyes curiously flitted back to the young woman standing slightly behind her aunt. She was a little disappointed that the princess was not wearing a grand dress, like princesses did in the fairy tales her mother sometimes told her.

“Define “almost over”” Anya prompted the girl, tone stricter again.

Emma winced visibly “Well…” she hesitated, obviously fumbling for words now.

“Back to the training pits with you, now!” Anya ordered sharply. Her brother would surely not be pleased if Emma began running from her instructors at every chance.

“I will still be here later” Freya spoke up in a kind tone, looking down at the clearly excited child with an open and honest smile.

Emma smiled brightly up at her for a moment, before another strict glance from Anya, sent her scurrying back in the direction from which she had come.

Anya looked behind the girl with an amused shake of her head “I have forewarned you after all” she said to Freya, although she was keenly aware of Indra’s dark eyes watching the whole scene with a furrow to her brows.

“We can certainly discuss the commander’s report at a later point” Anya said to Indra, who was still scrutinizing Freya with a piercing glare.

The dark-skinned warrior looked put off for a moment, but nodded curtly in mute agreement, already turning around on her heel and striding away.

“Do not mind Indra too much” Anya addressed her wife, as soon as the other woman was out of ear shot.

Freya shook her head slightly in the negative and her tone was matter-of-factly when she retorted “I had expected more reactions like this” her blue eyes did not show any insult either. Internally Freya was rather satisfied with how she had been welcomed so far, she did not care to imagine how her welcome would have looked like without Anya at her side though.

The village seemed really well organised and Freya was fairly certain that she could feel at home in this place with time. She could only pray now, that her mother would not find it worth enough to send assassins after her to this place.

~ ~ ~

Anya watched the princess from the corner of her eyes, it was obvious that the girl was already tiring, although they had not moved very far yet. She guessed that yesterdays journey was still clinging to her system. She walked slightly closer to her when she noted how the girl seemed to begin to lightly sway on her feet.

“Do you wish to return and rest?” the general finally offered. She had just showed the smithy to the princess and she could just show the training pits to Freya at a later time point after all.

Freya frowned slightly, she had not said anything yet, although she internally would really prefer to return to their hut and be able to lie down, not exactly sleep, but her whole body felt heavy and numb. So, she finally mutely inclined her head in acceptance. She hated feeling so weak and she hoped that she would finally be able to regain some of her original strength here in this place. She truly looked forward to the opportunity to get some training again.

Anya could easily spot the conflicting emotions dancing through the princesses’ blue eyes. She gave her a slight reassuring smile, she knew that the girl would improve with time and once Nyko gave her the allowance to start training, she would surely quickly improve in that regard as well.

Freya sighed mutely under her breath, once they had made their way back to their hut. The skin on her back felt too tight and she looked forward to the chance of getting off of her feet again.

Anya had a hand lightly resting on the small of the girl’s back and another on one of her elbows, while she guided her to the bed. “You can sleep for a bit, if you like” she offered, as she let her hands fall away again.

Freya nodded again, feeling the loss of the slight contact for a brief moment. She wondered if the other woman would be staying with her, but Anya already moved away again from the bed, apparently looking through a few weapons, stored in a cupboard on the wall. She lied down carefully, immediately on her side, not placing any weight on her back as far as that was possible.

She watched the general leave in silence, blue eyes following her almost mute steps out of the hut, wondering internally if the older woman would have returned by the time she woke again. Freya could already feel tiredness pulling at her awareness and she knew that it would not be long before she drifted off. She guessed that she would be allowed to move through TonDC on her own, at least the general had told her so during their walk through the village, but she was not convinced if she truly wanted to test it out.

“You can find me on the training pits if you need me” Anya called over shoulder, directly before exiting the hut. She thought to have seen a brief flash of disappointment passing over the girl’s features, but Anya shook the slight feeling of doing something wrong by leaving forcefully from her mind. Her wife did not need to be babysat by her constantly.

~ ~ ~

Anya left the hut with fast strides, she could already spot Indra linger in the distance and she guessed that the dark-skinned warrior had already been waiting for her.

“Does the hut need to be guarded?” Indra addressed her sharply, once Anya was within her ear shot.

Anya narrowed her eyes at the other woman “You mean to ask if she will be trusted to move through TonDC unattended?” she retorted, tone layered with the hint of a warning. She was well aware that she needed to establish how she expected the others to treat Freya rightfully as her wife.

Indra’s lips thinned visibly at the apparent defensive of the other general. She had been fairly certain that there this whole bonding was nothing more than a charade and she was confused that Anya seemed intent to trust the Ice princess. If she were in her stead, she would have kept Nia’s daughter under house arrest at least and surely not allow her to wander around freely, who knew what the princesses’ actual plan might be.

“I will tell you this only once, because it should be clear already without the need for clarification” Anya almost growled at the dark-skinned village chief “Freya is rightfully my wife and she will be treated accordingly”.

Indra pursed her lips visibly, before she inclined her head in mute acceptance. If Anya was adamant of living this charade for real, it was not her place to question the other woman on it. “You are headed to the training pits” she assessed, letting the subject drop for now. She was convinced that she would get more opportunities in the upcoming days to see the Ice princess for herself and she might be able to judge than if Anya’s trust was well placed or not.

Anya inclined her head and her brown eyes flashed challengingly “Still in form?” she asked with a teasing note.

Indra rolled her eyes at the other woman. As a memory of former days flashed in front of her eyes, Anya had always been extremely competitive and they had drained alongside each other for a long time. “Probably better than you, lounging around in the capitol” she retorted with a slight barb.

Anya snorted under her breath, rolling her shoulders slightly, still feeling a little stiffness lingering in her joints. She would not agree to it in front of Indra, but the dark-skinned village chief was not entirely off, the capitol offered much less time for physical training than the life in a mere village ever could.

~ ~ ~

Their combat match went over smoothly and Anya wiped the sweat from her brow, breath elated and feeling the sting of a graze on her arm. It had truly gotten more difficult to beat Indra than she remembered and she was suddenly glad that Freya had not been witness to this match. When her wife was watching, Anya hoped for an impressive fight which she would win easier than this one.

“Just as I thought” Indra commented, dark eyes dancing with amusement. They had mostly always been relatively similar in strength, but somehow Anya still managed to be lighter and quicker on her feet.

Anya’s eyes narrowed at the village chief “I won” she stated with conviction and she had. She had not won without getting hits herself, but she had won, which had been the whole point.

Indra snorted “Barely” she retorted, as she stored her sword back into its sheath.

Anya rolled her eyes, not deeming this worth another actual comment and her attention was quickly caught by the sight of her brother standing at the edge of the training pits. His hands rested on his daughter’s shoulders and Emma clearly burned to be let free and run up to her.

Before her father could say anything, Emma immediately said “Oh, I wanna be a warrior just like you one day” her tone was laced with deep admiration and her brown eyes twinkled.

“Not like your father?” Anya questioned the girl with a mock shocked expression, although she internally felt deeply touched at the open display of admiration from her niece.

“I am used to it” Conall commented drily, gazing down at his child with a loving expression as he ruffled her locks playfully.

“Hey!” Emma exclaimed loudly, quickly moving out of reach of her father, combing her fingers through her hair immediately.

Anya snorted at the child’s antics “It is good to see you are well” she greeted her brother with an honest, moving closer to him and enveloping him in a brief warm hug.

Conall nodded his head in agreement, while his brown eyes travelled down his sister’s form. He had looked around for her newly wife, but had been unable to spot any woman matching his daughter’s description yet, although he was not certain just how much of the girl’s words were exaggerated.

“Freya is resting” Anya answered her brother’s unspoken question, sensing immediately what he was looking for.

“Tressa will be expecting to be introduced to her officially during dinner” Conall relayed on the behalf of his own wife.

Anya inclined her head in agreement, she had expected nothing else after all.

“How long are you staying in TonDC?” Conall asked kindly. He missed having his sister close and he knew just how much his daughter missed her aunt as well.

Anya shook her head slightly “That remains to be seen” she answered vaguely. Lexa had assured her to take as much time as she wished, but she knew that they would not be staying infinitely either.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,
> 
> I know that I have not been working on this story for some time now, but I will try to change this from now on. I will pause Skaifaya for an undefined time instead now, I don’t know if I will get back to it either. I have to reread myself what I have written so far and hopefully I will get back into it. I don’t have the plot anymore which I had in mind for this, but I will see what I can think of. Please let me know what you think as your reviews and comments are what keep me at writing and actually publishing my work.
> 
> Sorry for the long pause.

Chapter 14

When Freya woke up some time later, she had to note with slight disappointment, that Anya had not returned yet, so she was still alone in the hut.

She slowly walked over to the window and gazed outside. A slight frown settled onto her features, the sun had barely moved on the horizon, so she could not have been asleep for very long. She did not know for certain just how long the general would be training here and besides trying to go back to sleep or remain at the window, the hut did not offer her anything to do at all.

Freya remained standing in front of the window for some time, indecisive on what to do now. She did not feel particularly tired any longer and highly doubted that she would be able to fall back asleep, even if she tried.

She carefully smoothed out some of her hair with her fingers, doing the same to her clothes, stalling for time and trying to get presentable at the same time. She had not seen the actual training pits of the village so far, but they should not be too hard to find either.

Freya’s hand shook visibly as she stretched to reach for the door handle and she took a shuddering breath. For the flash of a moment she expected to find the door locked again, imprisoning her once again. She breathed a little easier when the door let itself be opened on the first try easily.

Her eyes flicked around the hut quickly and she was slightly puzzled for a moment by the absence of guards next to the door. Anya’s words telling her that she should stop expect being treated like a prisoner resonated through her mind for a moment and Freya felt slightly chided, although the general was not even present to see her right now.

Freya straightened herself slightly, closing the door softly and taking in another deep breath, trying to calm her frantically beating heart somehow. She was not entirely sure just what she was expecting to happen at all, most of the villagers would have heard of her presence by now and the fact that she was married to Anya would surely be well known as well.

Freya tensed immediately, when she noticed quiet a few people inspecting her critically, but she was more fortunate than she thought and directly ran into Nyko, barely a few steps from the hut.

The kind healer gave her a slight smile in greeting “I assume you are searching for Anya” the man said.

Freya nodded her head in agreement, feeling relieve course through her mind. She doubted anyone would dare to approach her now, that she was not on her own. She walked beside the healer in comfortable silence, not feeling the need to say anything at all. She could already hear the resonating sounds of steel clashing on steel loudly long before they saw the training pits.

Once they were in sight, Nyko halted “You will find your way alone from here” he said, already turning slightly to continue in another direction.

Freya inclined her head in agreement and minutely watched the man stride away, before she turned again and continued towards the training pits.

She remained in the background for long moments, her eyes searching for Anya among all the warriors. She frowned slightly, when she finally spotted the general.

Anya was speaking with someone and Freya waited for inspect the man, before she stepped closer. She recognized Anya’s niece Emma standing leaned against the man’s legs casually, so she concluded easily that this would be the general’s brother.

The man’s face showed almost the same angles as Anya’s and once she stepped closer, Freya could see that their eyes seemed very similar as well, almost identical.

The man’s brown eyes immediately flicked over from his sister’s face to herself and Freya tensed involuntarily again. She lowered her eyes to the ground immediately in reaction.

Anya frowned at her wife’s behaviour and inched closer to her, placing a hand lightly on her back in a subtle touch, hoping to ease the girl somehow with it. Her brown eyes minutely connected with Conall’s, hoping that her brother would not challenge the clearly shy girl now. Anya really hoped that Freya would soon regain some self-confidence and not lower her eyes at every turn. People would never show her the respect that she was owed, if she acted like a frightened deer and Anya could only try to fathom how being constantly afraid would feel like for her wife.

Freya gave the general a fleeting smile, when she met her eyes briefly and she leaned back slightly, feeling her hand settle more firmly against her back, before she took another deeper breath and looked up again, meeting Anya’s brother’s eyes as calmly and confidently as possible. To her slight surprise, the man’s brown eyes looked at her almost kindly.

“That’s the princess, Daddy” Emma suddenly quipped in, breaking the slight tension, voice high-pitched and clearly bubbling with excitement.

Freya let out a deep breath, feeling some tension lift from her chest, as she gazed down at the little girl and gave her an honest smile, blue eyes kind and open.

“I noticed, Emma” Conall commented drily with a slight shake of his head. He extended an arm towards the Ice princess slightly “I am Conall” he introduced himself “Welcome into the family”.

Freya hesitated for a moment, before she grasped onto his arm, giving it a proper shake “Freya”, she retorted with a slight nod. Her throat felt almost clogged with a lump, she had truly not expected Anya’s family to seemingly accept her like that and she was much more touched by the gesture, than she could ever try to put into words.

“Do you have a crown?” Emma chimed in excitedly, once Freya severed the brief contact again.

Freya blinked down at the young girl in slight confusion “No” she answered with a little shake of her head.

The disappointment washing over Emma’s young face so openly was almost comical to watch. “Why not?” she exclaimed with a scowl “Princesses are supposed to have crowns and gowns and a castle and a prince and…”.

Freya was confused by the little girl’s definition of how royalty was obviously supposed to live in her mind. For her, her life could not have been farer removed from the girl’s conception either.

“Emma, that is certainly enough for now” Conall silenced his daughter, voice infused with finality, although his brown eyes remained loving and kind.

Emma pouted visibly, but obviously knew better than to disregard her father’s words like that and stayed begrudgingly silent.

Freya smiled down at the child softly, she wished that she could the girl some pretty story about the life of a princess, the girl seemed to envision, but she would only be lying to her then. “I am sorry that I have to disappoint you, Emma, but my life has not been one of extravagance” she addressed the girl in a kind tone.

Emma’s pout only deepened, but a small glance from her father kept her silent for now.

“It is time for lunch now” Anya proclaimed, breaking the slight silence which had settled between them.

Freya inclined her head in mute agreement. She was not feeling particularly hungry, but she had lost all sense of hunger in the last months, so she could no longer trust her bodies cues on that.

“Why don’t you go and see if your mother has returned?” Conall asked Emma and the girl immediately nodded, dark blonde locks flying wildly around her roundish face, before she quickly scurried away, weaving her way through the huts with practised ease.

Freya watched the girl leave for long moment, she instantly liked the child and her easy nature. She had not yet learned to dislike people from Azgeda obviously and had met her only with open curiosity.

“She is quiet something” Conall said with the hint of a loving smile playing around his mouth, as he watched his daughter leave as well.

Freya inclined her head lightly, not knowing on how to answer such a statement.

“She will grow into a fine warrior” Anya assessed with conviction in her tone.

Conall had always been exceptional at everything he did and he had passed all of their training with far more ease than she could have dreamed of. Her brother had had a glorified way in front of him, moving through the military ranks quickly and easily, but when he had met Tressa, he had been faced with a though decision. Anya had never guessed that her brother would choose love over duty. The man had been offered a place in the previous commander’s personal guard, which was an immense honour. But to everyone’s great surprise, he had declined the position. Conall had apparently easily chosen Tressa, opting to stay with her in TonDC instead of moving to the capitol.

When Anya looked at her brother now, it was obvious that he had made the right choice for himself. He seemed content and happy. If Emma had inherited even a little of his natural affinity to weapons, stealth and strategy, she would surely grow up to be one of the best and fiercest warriors as well.

“We will expect you tomorrow to dinner” Conall addressed both women likewise, although his eyes remained on his sister’s features.

Anya inclined her head in mute acceptance, she could already guess that her brother might go out on a hunt for the occasion again, to be able to offer something fitting to guests.

Freya nodded silently as well. Anya had already forewarned her of such a thing, but she was unsure of how to feel about it. She was fairly certain that Emma would probably be present as well during the dinner, so hopefully the atmosphere would not be as strained as she feared now. She remained standing next to Anya, listening mutely to the older woman communicate with her brother and she watched the man during the wait.

Freya could quickly recognize that Anya and Conall shared quite a lot of their mannerisms. She wondered who of the two was the older, but she could not tell for sure. She guessed that the man could be as accepting to her as his sister, if they truly were so similar. She was glad that both of them did not seem to expect her to actively participate in their conversation though.

~ ~ ~

Once Conall had said his goodbyes for now, Anya turned back fully to Freya, checking quickly if her wife appeared to be alright physically. The girl seemed slightly more rested and looked relatively relaxed.

After travelling the whole day before and now training with Indra, she felt grimy and the sweat had already begun to dry on her skin and Anya longed to get really clean again. She did not know if her wife would be up for the walk though.

“Are you feeling tired still?” Anya asked, brown eyes slightly worried.

Freya shook her head in the negative, after sleeping for a bit previously, she felt totally fine again.

“Are you up for a walk to a stream?” Anya added another question. She was not certain if Freya would be able to swim or would even want to come to the stream. She had never been very far into Ice Nation territory and it was entirely possible, that the girl did not even know streams like that for bathing.

Freya nodded with a cautious expression, not exactly sure what the general would want at the stream. She highly doubted that the woman would be required to gather water for the village, she seemed to be much too high in her rank for such a task. But she had nothing against seeing something of the surroundings of the village either and felt fine enough for a walk, she only hoped that Anya’s definition of a walk would not be similar to the length of an actual trek.

Anya inclined her head in acceptance with the ghost of a smile on her features, motioning Freya back into the direction of their hut.

Freya frowned slightly, when she followed the general inside and watched the older woman gather a few pieces of clothing.

“Do you wish to bath as well?” Anya asked nonchalantly, barely throwing a glance over a shoulder at the girl.

Freya’s brows furrowed “Bath?” she echoed in open confusion. It took her a second, to come to the conclusion what the general intended to do at the stream and a blush immediately dusted over her cheeks. A lump lodged into her throat as she thought about going to the streams together with the general, would the woman really expect them to bath together? She had no idea if this was common among Trikru either.

Anya turned back to the girl, amusement danced through her brown eyes “Yes, to take a bath. You probably want to wash off the grime from the long journey yesterday”.

Freya fiddled with the pendant in her fingers nervously. She knew that it was irrational of her to be afraid to bath in front of the general, the other woman had already seen her completely naked on the night of their bonding after all. She had seen the other woman disrobed back then as well, but she had been too scared and nervous to really look at her body. Her blush intensified, as she remembered the morning and watching the general in the bathroom.

Anya raised a brow at the girl, as one corner of her lips pulled up in a smirk. It was obvious now that Freya had thought nothing of agreeing beforehand. It was completely normal among Trikru to visit the stream together for bathing purposes and there did not have to be anything sexual about it at all. But she had understood already that the princess had not been brought up with the same naturalness towards nudity that was common for herself. She briefly contemplated if offering the girl to stay behind instead, would be the better choice, but discarded the idea again. She wished for her to get used to the idea of being naked casually around each other after all.

“Are you ready to leave?” Anya asked, ignoring the girl’s obvious awkwardness for now. She had packed things for the both of them already.

Freya swallowed forcefully, nodding her head in mute agreement, although she was barely able to meet the general’s eyes. In the back of her mind she wondered, how high the possibility would be that there would be other citizens of the village at the stream as well. She guessed that she could imagine undressing and bathing with the general alone, but she could not imagine the same scenario with strangers present.

The walk towards the stream was thankfully not as long as Freya had feared. They did not speak during the way, her own throat felt clogged with nervousness and the general did not seem to have anything pressing to say either. Weirdly enough the silence did not sound oppressive at all, but Freya could let her gaze wander around the forest they walked through.

Anya kept the pace slow and steady, knowing better than to exert her wife physically, fearing in the back of her mind, that the girl would relapse still and she would be the one to blame for that by pushing for this journey too quickly. She was sure that they would have been able to keep the princess protected in Polis for a few more days as well.

A soft smile played around her lips, as she watched the princess openly admire the forest around themselves. Anya had grown up among those trees, but it was obvious that they conveyed a different kind of beauty to her wife. There was wonder shining in her blue eyes and Anya was certain that the girl had never seen forests like this before, so dense, green and lively. She knew that vegetation in Ice Nation lands looked much different.

Before Freya could really see the stream, she could already hear the sound of rushing water and if she was not mistaken it seemed to be falling as well. She frowned slightly, wondering just where Anya was guiding them to. Her eyes widened noticeably when they finally broke through the tree line and she was faced with the most magical sight, she had ever seen.

Anya had been at this particular place countless times before. They stood in front of a waterfall and she seemed to be lucky. The sun was shining down in such a way, that everything now seemed to have a certain sparkle. “I take it that you like the sight” Anya commented after long moments of silence, where Freya had simply looked around.

Freya turned towards Anya with a slight smile on her features and she nodded in genuine agreement “It is beautiful here” she proclaimed; eyes drawn back almost automatically to the waterfall in front of them. She knew that there were waterfalls in Azgeda as well, but they were surrounded by ice and extremely dangerous to get close to, she had never seen one with her own eyes and only heard her oldest brother’s words about it once. She could hear birds chirping around them and the constant sound of the moving water was soothing somehow to her. She wondered internally why no one else was at this place.

“Most villagers do not take the longer route to the streams; it is not as frequently visited as you might think” Anya explained in a kind tone.

Freya blushed slightly, when she noticed that she had obviously spoken her question out loud, but she was thankful that the general had chosen a place where they could be alone without more prying eyes watching her.

Amusement danced through Anya’s brown eyes at the clearly already flustered state of her wife. She smirked slightly, when she placed down their parcel with clothes and reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it above her head and discarding it on the ground carelessly. She did not pause to begin unwinding her chest bindings and letting them drop down as well, while she kept her eyes fixed on her wife.

Freya’s blue eyes widened slightly at the sight of the general undressing so casually in front of her and although her blush deepened, her eyes remained glued to the other woman’s body as she revealed inch by inch of skin, almost against her will.

Exposed to the bright sunlight like that, Anya’s skin seemed to almost glow in a bronze tone and Freya felt something coil deeply in her stomach at the sight of Anya’s lean muscles flexing under her skin like that. She almost frantically lowered her eyes, when the general reached for her trousers and pulled them down as well.

Anya’s smirk widened while she watched Freya’s antics and a sigh passed through her lips. She would have preferred for the girl to just look at her, if she wished, but she guessed that she needed more time to get used to the idea still. After having disrobed completely, Anya contemplated for a moment on how to proceed now, Freya was still standing a few paces away from her, eyes glued to her feet and cheeks still tinted a lovely pink in clear embarrassment.

She stepped closer to the girl slowly, feet not making any detectable sound against the rushing water and she slowly reached out to Freya, tilting her chin upwards insistently. Her brown eyes were kind and understanding as she met her wife’s startled gaze “You can look all you want” Anya assured in a soft tone.

Freya cleared her throat awkwardly, keeping her eyes focused on the general’s face, not daring to look down and she did not know what to say either at the moment.

Anya smirked slightly, keeping in another sigh at the girl’s apparent stubbornness. She let go of her chin again and turned around towards the stream, walking to the shore slowly and she turned to glance over her shoulder “Join me, when you are ready”.


End file.
